Nardwuar – Not Your Average Journalist

It doesn’t matter where you start. Just one interview is all it takes to pull you into Nardwuar’s unforgettable universe. See for yourself in this 2021 interview with J. Cole. The best moment happens when Nardwuar asks, “J. Cole, did you tell Dr. Dre about Kendrick?” J. Cole freezes, stunned into silence for a solid 15 seconds as a whirlwind of emotions plays out on his face before he finally mutters, half-laughing, “Who told you that?”. This is a common thread in his interviews: impressing subjects with meticulous research and a flamboyant approach.

Known as the Human Serviette, Nardwuar is a punk rocker and radio host, but his best work unfolds on camera in chaotic interviews with musicians. In these interviews, he often presents unexpected, thoroughly elaborate questions and well-researched gifts that leave his guests dumbfounded and reminds them of past lives they had long forgotten. He might casually mention Kendrick Lamar’s Louisiana Chicken order, Travis Scott’s high-school Spanish teacher, or the name of Seth Rogen’s mall cashier when he was a kid.

With a unique interview approach and trademark vintage wardrobe (this nerdy man always wears a Tam-o’-shanter hat, a gift from his mom after her trip to England in 1990), this Canadian personality has blessed us with some of the most memorable chats of all time for almost four decades. His peculiar name and appearance are now anchored in pop culture. But how did this goofy music-lover become one of the internet’s favorite interviewers, growing to more than 3.5 million subscribers on YouTube and even having a holiday in his honor?

Who’s Nardwuar?

Nardwaur was born John Andrew Vernon Ruskin on July 5, 1968, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. His father was an engineer, and his mother was a high school history teacher. Nardwaur found that his mother most inspired his career. 

 “I was influenced by my mom. She did a cable-access TV show interviewing people called ‘Our Pioneers and Neighbours’ where she would really research guests. So before I really got to interviewing people every week, I already had an idea of how much work it took to make them interesting”. He added, realizing from a young age the way interviews should be conducted.

The journey into music journalism began in 1985 when 17-year-old John Ruskin recorded his debut on the mic. He organized a concert at his Hillside secondary school featuring the punk band Poisoned, talking with them after the show. Even at just 17, his confidence and ease were unparalleled. A year later, John began his studies at the University of British Columbia where he started promoting punk shows in Vancouver and fronting a silly garage band called the Evaporators. But more than anything, he began to pursue what would define him: volunteering at the student-run radio station, CITR. He became so addicted to the atmosphere that he quickly became a fixture at the station.

It was here that both the name and the show, “Nardwuar the Human Serviette”, were born. The story behind the name is short, and both highly original: “Nardwuar”, he says, is just “a dumb, stupid name like Sting or Sinbad”; “Human” came from a Cramps song called “Human Fly”,  and as a final touch for his Canadianness he added “Serviette” because it’s a word rarely used in the napkin-centric United States.

In 1990, Nardwuar got his Bachelor’s degree in History and decided it was time to go all in on music and journalism. Early on, he was becoming more recognized as an eccentric political journalist in Canada. In 1993, he barged his way into a Science World press conference with former President of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev to ask: “Of all the political figures [you] encountered, who has the largest pants?”. Gorbachev, seemingly confused but amused, ultimately dodged it with a polite laugh. In a 1997 Economic Leaders meeting, he confronted then-Prime Minister Jean Chrétien about protestors being maced with pepper spray from earlier that day. A question that led to one of Chrétien’s most infamous moments: “For me, pepper, I put it on my plate”. The crowd blasted off laughing.

From Politics to the Cruel World of Music

By the turn of the century, Nardwuar was making a name for himself in the music industry with his unmatched energy and relentless approach towards artists. One of the most impressive stories is how he landed an interview with Nirvana at the insane height of their career and several weeks before Kurt Cobain’s tragic passing. He showed up several hours early to a concert in Vancouver that Cobain was attending and tried sneaking in the backstage bathroom, only to be kicked out by security. He did, though, manage to leave a cassette tape unnoticed. What was on it? “The cassette tape contains an interview I did with Courtney Love, Kurt’s wife”, he explained in his 2011 TED talk. “ So I was hoping that Kurt would find the cassette tape, take it home that night and listen to it in a hotel, and the next day would know who I was…”

Nardwuar wouldn’t receive a phone call that night. But the next day, while trying to get in through the media entrance at the venue, he noticed Cobain and his wife walk in by mistake. Love recognized the interviewer and invited him backstage, telling security, “That’s my cousin, Nardwuar!”. As it turned out, Cobain and Love had found the cassette tape and listened to it in their hotel room. Love raved about the interview. Before Nardwuar knew it, he was talking with one of the most famous artists at the peak of his powers.

Moments like these helped him gradually build a devoted cult following. In 2001, he secured a spot on the Canadian music channel MuchMusic, which led to higher-profile interviews and a nationwide audience. But the real game-changer was YouTube. The platform amplified his brilliant archive to a large and grateful audience worldwide, making it the major medium of his career still today.

His Unique Style

Every one of his interviews follows the same pattern. Nardwuar locks eyes with a guest, pushes a microphone under their chin, asks “Who are you?” (a nod to the 1980s show Puttin’ on the Hits), and shares a bunch of little-known – and sometimes obscure – facts about their life. He ends with his signature phrase: “Keep on rockin’ in the Free World! And Doot-doola-doot-doo”, waiting for the subject to reply with a “doot-doo!” and then freezing in place facing the camera.

Beyond the theatrics, the real magic of his interview lies in the kind of information he uncovers. Most interviews offer a bit of background on an artist and some relevant details about their latest release. Nardwuar, however, being a walking music encyclopedia, makes mind-blowing connections and digs up unconventional wisdom from every guest. His questions often reference childhood friends, elementary school teachers, niche influences, and other hyper-specific details no journalist would typically uncover. It is less of a traditional Q&A and more like a friendly interrogation with the FBI.

His guests are inevitably people who have spent a fair portion of their careers having microphones inserted into their faces but have never encountered an interviewer who’s done this level of digging into their musical backgrounds, cultural influences, or personal histories. As Snoop Dogg once put it, “Most guys who interview me don’t have as much personality as you.”

Preparation

That same dedication defines his preparation, too. Nardwuar spends about a week researching each guest and – here is the best part – brings them gifts to spark their memories. He carefully selects personally significant items (CDs, album inserts, records, posters, pictures, dolls) finding ways to connect them to the person he is speaking with. Most artists, completely dazed and dumbfounded, go: “Holy shit, how did you know that?” , they are more impressed by him than vice-versa, completely enamored by the relics he has procured.

How does he find that information? His answer is simply, “Everything is out there; it’s just people are too lazy to look”. While this is true, it is only part of the equation. The other part comes from his deep curiosity and passion for what he does. He firmly believes that journalists should love their work—or do something else entirely. “Every interview you do, you learn something! The minute you think you know something, is the minute you should quit”, Nardwuar said in his 2011 TED talk, admitting that, even after all these years, he still gets nervous before every interview. A simple statement that speaks volumes about how much he truly cares.

Best and Worst Moments

While Nardwuar may be a product of punk culture, drawing inspiration from bands like the Sonics, the Cramps, and the Dead Kennedys, the rap world has embraced him most warmly and given him his broadest audience.

The Best Moments

Pharrell Williams’ reactions during his 2008 interview were priceless. He never expected a journalist to ask him about the Chuck Norris Karate School he attended as a child or to unearth rare pieces of vinyl and memorabilia that would leave him speechless.

“This is one of the most impressive interviews I’ve ever experienced in my life,” in bewilderment, Pharrell declared. 

What is even more amazing is what happens afterward. Pharrell was so blown away by these unique skills that when Nardwuar asked if he could assist in getting him an interview with Jay Z, Pharrell called him personally. Jay claimed that Pharrell rang him 10 times just to recommend this amazing journalist, who he agreed to meet with.

Another legendary interview was with Snoop Dogg, not only for the information or reactions but the chemistry and the unforgettable moments between them. For example when Snoop Dogg microwaved a blunt mid-interview. The best reaction comes when Nardwuar gifts the Long Beach rapper an old VHS from 1996. Genuinely touched, Snoop reminisces about it for a while, admitting he had been desperately searching for it without success. Fun fact: as of 2025, Snoop holds the record as the most interviewed artist by Nardwuar, with an impressive 12 appearances.

Snoop and Pharrell are just two of the countless insightful and engaging conversations  Nardwar has had with some of the biggest names in music and pop culture—probably some of the best you can ever see. But not everyone appreciates his style. Some have responded with verbal attacks, physical threats, and walkouts, showing an astounding level of ego, arrogance, and a complete lack of respect.

The Worst Moments

A 1991 interview with Sonic Youth, for instance, is especially hard to watch for both Nardwuar and probably the band’s fans as well, revealing the members as nothing more than schoolyard bullies rather than the rebellious figures they likely thought they were. Lee Ranaldo breaks a rare 7-inch record Nardwuar was planning to gift, and then he and Thurston Moore (respectively 33 and 35) grab him and pull his T-shirt over his head as he struggles and shouts. It is a sad sight but worth watching as a reminder of how grim the act of being “cool” can be.

There is also an awful 2003 interview with Blur in which drummer Dave Rowntree intimidates and threatens Nardwuar, stealing his hat and glasses and physically pushing him around while the other band members titter in the background. Three minutes in, Rowntree leaves the room, and the interview becomes a little less tense.

Despite the hostility, Nardwuar remains calm and professional and never breaks character, and that is precisely what makes him special. Beyond his hard work, meticulous preparation, and immense passion for what he does, he always stays true to his unique style. There are other moments like these where it seemed like he was on the wrong path, with many people failing to grasp him, especially in his early days. After all, he breaks conventions and disrupts the norm. But if there’s one thing Nardwuar never does—and never will do—it’s caring about fitting in.

Nardwuar Matters 

Inspiring creatives worldwide, Nardwuar has undeniably changed the art of interviewing. He has the rare ability to turn a celebrity into an interesting human being—for better or worse. But more than that, he has become the journalist that artists want to be interviewed by. Take Juice WRLD, one of those interviews that, thankfully, happened before it was too late. The rapper had tweeted about wanting to meet Nardwuar, and soon after, it became a reality. Usually, journalists chase after artists, but with Nardwuar, the dynamic is reversed. The biggest names in music now want their turn with him, like JPEGMafia, who drove an hour and a half to meet him.

As for Nardwuar himself, he has become a living legend. Through thousands of interviews, he has battled a brain hemorrhage, a stroke and heart surgery—all without ever losing that infectious enthusiasm. Since 1986, he has kept The Evaporators alive, still playing keyboard and guitar, and for just as long, his CiTR radio show has aired every Friday at 3:30 p.m.  He is still nowhere near done with interviews: Barack Obama, Paul McCartney, Neil Young, Kanye West and Playboi Carti are on top of his wish list. He even jokes that when he is old and in a nursing home, he will still be asking the nurses about their favorite punk bands. This persistence was officially recognized in 2019 when Vancouver mayor, Kennedy Stewart,  declared September 29th Nardwuar Day, honoring his three decades of relentless, one-of-a-kind journalism.

Love him or not, the world of music journalism simply wouldn’t be the same without him.

As always, Doot doola doot doo…