• Interviews

• All
• Music
• Cinema
• TV
• Comic Books

Feb 05, 2014 Web Exclusive By Under the Radar Staff

For Under the Radar‘s 11th annual Artist Survey we emailed some of our favorite artists a few questions relating to the important issues of the last year, as well as some quirkier subjects. Check out our next print issue and digital issue for surveys from My Morning Jacket, Foals, Amanda Palmer, Local Natives, Wild Nothing, These New Puritans, Lanterns on the Lake, Xiu Xiu, and Summer Camp.

Here are answers from Nicolas Graves of England’s Woman’s Hour.

Top 10 Albums of 2013

1. Oneohtrix Point Never: R Plus 7

2. Emily Reo: Olive Juice

3. Nils Frahm: Spaces

4. L. Pierre: The Island Come True

5. Grumbling Fur: Glynnaestra

6. Julianna Barwick: Nepenthe

7. Rhye: Woman

8. Jon Hopkins: Immunity

9. Darkstar: News From Nowhere

10. David Lynch: The Big Dream

What was the highlight of 2013, either for you personally or for the band?

There have been many, but signing a record deal with Secretly Canadian has topped our year off perfectly. An honorable mention should also go to supporting Volcano Choir at the Barbican in London.

What was the low point of 2013 for you?

Coming to terms with the fact that Breaking Bad is no longer with us.

What are your hopes and plans for 2014?

To maintain current momentum and build towards the release of our debut album. 2014 is going to be a very exciting year.

What are your thoughts on the passing of Lou Reed? Did his music influence you at all and in what way?

It’s hard to name anyone as a direct influence, but The Velvet Underground has become a reference point for all of us at some point in our lives.

What are your thoughts on the U.S. government shutdown and the debt ceiling debate?

From our position across the pond it appears to be a product of the age-old ideological battle about how to run an economy; between neo-liberals and social democrats and between rich and poor. The same thing is essentially taking place here but in a different guise. Apparently, by 2018 U.K. government consumption will be proportionally no larger than it was in 1948, i.e. before the implementation of many social security measures.

What are your thoughts on Obamacare, now that it’s being implemented?

We hear snippets of news from the U.S. about Obamacare, but I’d be lying if knew the fundamentals of how the system works. I guess for us in the U.K., having universal healthcare free at the point of use has been a basic right since 1948. It’s hard to imagine or support a system that’s based on your wealth.

What is your opinion on the extensive government spying on the world’s Internet/phone usage? Is Edward Snowden a patriot or traitor?

Incredibly brave, more than anything! To give up his comfortable life for something he felt the U.S. public needed to know is hard to comprehend and should be applauded. But governments have been involved in spying in one form or another for centuries. Rightly or wrongly, the Internet is the next logical arena.

What are your thoughts on music streaming services such as Spotify and Rdio? Are they good or bad for musicians?

We’ve always felt that having our music available to as many people as possible is incredibly important, and the Internet has allowed us to build a fan base and helped promote the band. In this respect streaming services like Spotify are an essential part of the jigsaw.

What was your most embarrassing moment in high school?

I have erased them from my memory.

www.womanshour.co.uk