• Interviews

• All
• Music
• Cinema
• TV
• Comic Books

Jan 18, 2013 By Under the Radar Staff Desaparecidos

For Under the Radar‘s 10th annual Artist Survey we emailed some of our favorite artists a few questions relating to 2012.

Pick up the print version of the Best of 2012 issue to read responses from the following artists: Alt-J, Fred Armisen, Bear in Heaven, Camera Obscura, Chad Valley, Charli XCX, Choir of Young Believers, Clinic, CSS, Dan Deacon, Desaparecidos, Django Django, Efterklang, Egyptian Hip Hop, El Perro Del Mar, Grimes, Halls, Richard Hawley, Hercules and Love Affair, Ladytron, Liars, Lord Huron, Lower Dens, Mount Eerie, My Morning Jacket, The Mynabirds, The New Pornographers, of Montreal, Peaking Lights, Porcelain Raft, Laetitia Sadier, Tame Impala, and Tegan and Sara.

Then download the digital version of the Best of 2012 issue to read all those surveys, as well as bonus responses from the following artists: !!!, Clare and the Reasons, Codeine, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., Esben and the Witch, The Fresh & Onlys, Get People, Islands, Kwes, Lost in the Trees, NZCA/LINES, OFF!, Plants and Animals, Still Corners, Violens, Xiu Xiu, Young Dreams, and Zambri.

We are also posting additional web-exclusive bonus answers to the website. These are from artists whose surveys are in the print magazine, but are extra answers that didn’t fit in the issue. Here are bonus answers from Denver Dalley of Desaparecidos and pick up the Best of 2012 issue to read the rest of his answers.

To what extent did the poor world economy affect your ability to make a reasonable living as an artist in 2012?

I don’t think that 2012 was worse than the years leading up to it. I am thankful for each and every dollar that I make from music. I don’t think that I have ever wrapped my mind around the idea that I can make money doing what I absolutely love doing. I’m happy to make anything from my art.

What are your thoughts on the 2012 U.S. presidential election?

I am really, truly happy that it is over with.

Steve Albini criticized Amanda Palmer for recruiting musicians to play in her backing band for free. Was he right to do this and was Palmer right to change her mind and pay her musicians?

I really don’t know that situation and all of the details of it, but I do know that there are artists out there (both obscure and well-known) that I respect so much that I would gladly play with for free, just for the opportunityto play with them. That being said, I firmly believe that if you have the means to compensate people for their time, you absolutely should.

What pop culture phenomenon from 2012 would you most like to erase from your memory?

YOLO.

Were you affected by Hurricane Sandy? Do you think that climate change was partly responsible for the hurricane?

I was fortunate in that I moved to Manhattan a couple weeks after Sandy hit and everything seemed to be back to normal in my neighborhood. There is still much to be done in other parts of the area though. I’m looking forward to doing my part to help out. It’s hard for me to say if climate change contributed to Sandy. It very well could have for all that I know, but devastating hurricanes are nothing new. Take the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 for example.

Tell us about the most memorable fan encounter you had this year.

I met a fan who had flown in from Manchester to come to a couple of our west coast dates and he had a half-sleeve tattoo on his arm of our artwork and name. It was a really impressive tattoo and he claimed that it wasn’t finished yet. A really nice guy too. I was very moved by it.

What were some of the rejected names for your band?

It’s been so long, but I want to say The Alter Boys? Something like that.

Tell us about your first kiss.

I think I was maybe 13? My girlfriend at the time, Terra, kissed me under a street light in front of our friend’s house because I was too nervous.

Did you watch this year’s Olympics? What was your favorite event and which event would you be best at?

I did. I watched a lot of swimming, diving, gymnastics, and volleyball. I really wanted to see more of the trampoline. I can’t get enough of that event.

In your opinion, what artist represents the cutting edge in music today? Who is doing something that no one else is doing?

Trent Reznor. I think that he is so far ahead of his time, we all still haven’t caught up yet.

What should musicians do, if anything, to support Pussy Riot?

Continue the conversation. Too often topics fall by the wayside because not enough people are talking about them or they’re not making enough headlines.

Finish this sentence: I’m too old to _______?

Act the way that I do.

Finish this sentence: I’m not old enough to _______?

Act the way that I should.

What is your least favorite sound? What is your favorite?

There’s an iPhone ringtone called “Horn” that really bothers me for some reason. I think it’s too clown-like for my tastes. I’m really into clever low end sound design in film. Most all of the dark, ominous sounding, low endhits that you hear in film these days.

Do you believe in monogamy? Explain.

Sure. If you can find the right person, absolutely. It’s just hard to believe that you’ll ever find the right person sometimes.

What do you think about the use of drone attacks in the war on terror?

Drones used for what? That’s the real question.

The music industry has gone through massive changes in the last decade, mainly due to the Internet. What changes do you predict will happen to the music industry in the next decade?

Well, I’m hoping that this won’t happen, but with everyone seeking licensing so aggressively, I’m thinking that they will start giving less and less money for them because they know that they can always find someone else who will sign off on their song for cheaper-for both the money and the exposure.

In 2012, what was the best movie you saw, book you read, comic book you read, video game you played, and/or TV show you watched?

Moonrise Kingdom. For sure.

Do you have any other thoughts about the current state of the world or the state of the music industry?

I don’t know. I want to say that I’m excited for things to get better with the economy and yada yada, but at the same time, I also want us to be thankful for what we do have. The freedoms and opportunities that we all (myself included) often take for granted. So I guess I would say that I want us all to keep fighting the good fight, but be thankful for what we have and help each other out in any way that we can, regardless of what area we live in.

www.desaparecidosband.com