Jane Remover leads Anthony Fantano’s music series as the most influential critic seeks to give a perfect interview

A New Interview Series

Anthony Fantano announced The Perfect Interview on Tuesday. Known online as “the internet’s busiest music nerd,” he built his YouTube career with commentary on artists including Kanye West, Death Grips and Radiohead.

Fantano told The Hollywood Reporter that he sees demand for deeper conversations about music. He said he had long wanted to host interviews but worried about compromising his independent voice or taking part in industry favors.

From Pilot To Production

The series is being filmed in Brooklyn with production company Talkhouse. Fantano developed it with music journalists Emelie Friedlander and Drew Millard, who are producing with Sam Blumenfeld; Conner Schuurmans is directing.

Artists In The Pipeline

Jane Remover is set to appear first, on Monday. Other planned guests include Denzel Curry, Kenneth Blume, the producer formerly known as Kenny Beats, JPEGMAFIA, Chat Pile and Horsegiirl.

Fantano said he would welcome high-profile guests like Rodrigo as well as niche tastemakers, but the deciding factor is whether a conversation seems interesting. Talkhouse co-founder and president Ian Wheeler praised Fantano’s broad musical knowledge and familiarity with the artists he interviews.

Aiming For Unpredictable Conversations

The series will compete for viewers with established music interview programs such as Apple Music’s Zane Lowe Show and The New York Times’ Popcast. Rolling Stone and GQ have also expanded their longform video work.

Fantano said he wants interviews to feel less sterile, with room for spontaneity, pushback and humor. He also said the show should avoid one-sided discourse and disinformation while reassuring artists and publicists that conversations will not go too far off course.