Life at the top for Kerrang!

Music Week Award-winning radio programmer Emma Scrafton - now Newman - explains why rock, and rock radio, is all the rage

You weren't at our awards last month because you were out at SXSW. How was it and which new bands did you get excited about?

I've been before, but this was my favourite year. One band I saw was Gallows, who I've been aware of for a few weeks and who blew me away. Their energy was amazing. There was also a band called Kiss Kiss from the US, who remind me of the Dresden Dolls; not just musically, but visually, too. And The Pigeon Detectives were brilliant - they seemed to be particularly enjoying themselves.

What does a typical day for you involve?

Every day is completely different, but my main tasks are listening to records, devising playlists and inputting them into the system. I'll also be talking to people about live events and just trying to keep up on the current scene.

How would you say your approach to your job sets you apart?

I don't know if anything sets me apart, but my main thing is I'm quite honest to pluggers and if I'm not sure about something then I'll say so. I'm also quite open-minded to new trends and make an effort to get involved in the local rock scene. I don't know if that's unique or whether it's what everyone does, but it's the way I do things.