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Dec 17, 2010 By Under the Radar Staff Web Exclusive

For Under the Radar’s 8th annual Artist Survey we emailed some of our favorite artists a few questions relating to 2010. However our printed pages weren’t enough to hold all the great responses we got. Pick up a copy of Under the Radar’s Year End issue for interviews with: The Antlers, Bon Iver, Caribou, Club 8, Delphic, Rose Elinor Dougall, Gayngs, Hot Chip, Lost in the Trees, Love is All, The Love Language, Mogwai, of Montreal, Okkervil River,Yoko Ono, Owen Pallett, Plants and Animals, Mark Ronson, Superchunk, Tame Impala, Vampire Weekend, Sharon Van Etten, and Vivian Girls. Then check here for bonus responses not found in the magazine. Here are additional answers from Josephine Olausson & Markus Görsch of Love Is All.

Who would you rather listen to—a totally original musician whose compositions are groundbreaking but difficult to listen to or a musician whose songs are immediately enjoyable but derivative? Why?

Markus Görsch: Maybe if they did something together? But I have to say that experimental music often sounds typical in a rather predictable way; it is often more interesting to read about or talk to the person making it, which is not always the case with a more traditional musician.

Josephine Olausson: I can’t choose. It all varies according to what mood I’m in.

With the Internet making every artist’s music potentially available to a wide audience, is it now easier to find listeners or more difficult because you have to compete with so many other musicians?

Markus: Easier to find a few, harder to really “make it.” When I grew up there were only 20 or so bands in every genre that put out albums and toured (or so it seemed). The underground cassette scene was very much a local affair. That is different now with the Internet. The problem of course is that back in the days a label would let their bands make several albums, and then perhaps after four records, they would finally become really good. It seems unusual now that musicians who aren’t completely commercial get that time to develop.

Josephine: What Markus said.

In the race to find new bands, are too many unworthy bands being hyped up by music blogs and websites? How are music fans supposed to filter through all these new bands being hyped?

Markus: No, because pop music is also about so many other things, like ideas or styles or whatever, so the music doesn’t have to be all that good every time.

If your house was on fire, what would you grab as you were running out?

Markus: A jacket if it is cold out?

Josephine: Wyatt. And shoes.

If you could relive one day of your life, which would it be?

Markus: Are you making me an offer?

(www.myspace.com/loveisall8)