Becoming a Rolling Stone - A Profile of Jon Freeman

By: Josh Herring

Jon Freeman with the late Loretta Lynn

When Jon Freeman graduated from Auburn University with a business degree, he had no idea he would become an editor for one of the biggest music publications in the world, Rolling Stone. “I was supposed to be a systems analyst at a corporate bank or something like that. Naturally I took the easy way out and became a music journalist,” Freeman said with a hearty laugh.

Freeman’s journey was anything but orthodox. After transferring from Samford University to Auburn University, skating by in English courses, and a short stint in a call center after graduation, he was at a breaking point. “I was like, what am I supposed to do with my life What’s the point of this?”

After being hired at Music Row Magazine, largely for his technical background in management information systems, he gradually took on editorial duties. After encouragement from established writers in town, “the light bulb went off,” recalled Freeman. “That’s what I should be doing,” writing about music was the answer.

With no background in journalism, there was a learning curve. “I didn’t understand things I think you learn in day one in journalism classes; just, like, the whole idea of writing a lead and a nut graf, how to interview, how to source,” Freeman said, “All that stuff I have had to accumulate and refine on the job.”

Despite the lack of initial experience, the connection to music was always there. Freeman was a self-proclaimed “music nerd” listening to all genres, especially those of the budding rap scene in the early 90’s and rock music. Some of Freeman’s favorite albums sit comfortably in the 90’s era, of transformative, multi-genre listening experiences. For example, "OK Computer" by Radiohead that “shattered his world” and The Clash’s, "London Calling."

While country music, ironically, might not be his favorite, Freeman had to reconnect with country music upon his arrival to the country division of Rolling Stone. Country is core to his Southern heritage. “I had to circle back to listening to Patsy Klein and Eddie Arnold with my grandad, and then from there, start figuring out a way to appreciate where it [country music] sits currently.”

But country music doesn’t sound like those artists anymore. Beyond the real - “grown up music,” Freeman called it - there’s a shadow of the real world reflected in the genre. It shows a familiar world.

“I grew up in the rural South, so I think there’s a piece of my existence that’s very much country, that looks like a Luke Bryan song. And that’s a part of me – that’s important to me. This core connection allows Freeman to draw a primal inspiration when reviewing music, he said.

In music journalism, the album review process is unique to each writer. Though, most have similar processes. First, listening to the album. Freeman likes to get a feel for the album before sitting down, taking notes, and creating a narrative.

“I’ll have it playing more in the background, in a way, and I’m getting a feel for how it flows between tracks, if there are any obvious big singles or hooks that jump out at me on that first pass,” Freeman said.

Dylan Green, a contributor and writer for Pitchfork - perhaps the next biggest music publication in the United States - is another music journalist whose love for music transcends just listening. Digesting the album as a whole is the first step in processing the meaning, both hidden and clear, of a given album. The second and, more often, third listen is where themes start to click. This phase includes notetaking, envisioning the greater impact of an album, if there is one, and putting thoughts down on paper.

“The second listen is when I really, usually, start zeroing in on lyrics, arrangements, start making notes about what’s happening, and forming just little blurbs,” Freeman said while moving his hands in a scribbling motion. Lastly, putting together the piece requires brevity. Freeman noted different publications require different specifications, but Rolling Stone is often limited by physical print space in their magazines, so he sticks to about 450 words.

When reading music reviews, it is easy to get caught up in the fanfare, the hype, and even the hate of an art that is largely subjective. Both Green and Freeman offer similar advice in dealing with the consequences or outcries that come with being an authority in the music world: do not pay it any attention, and just go on about your day.

“At the end of the day, reviews are just opinions, that’s all,” said Green, who has a fair share of hate-mail on Twitter and his inbox.

While every journey to industry level music criticism is different, Freeman was adamant in his advice for the next generation of music journalists. Reading was his most emphasized piece of advice. “Read and consume as much as you can, because that, I feel like the only way I’ve gotten better at any of this. I had to see it and absorb it from somewhere else, you know.”

And when he’s done reading: “Steal that shit man!” Freeman emphasized. He backtracked a bit, not encouraging plagiarism, but to mimic the successful styles seen in professional music criticism.

Freeman rubbed his green, cotton hoodie and reminisced as he spoke about his journey to Rolling Stone. He spoke fondly of the value of taking the leap and diving into the Nashville scene and reverently of the comforts of the career allowed him to have, especially the laid-back nature of his work. He left the impression that if he could do it, anyone could, with equal parts determination and luck.