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Jan 26, 2016 By Mark Redfern Web Exclusive

For Under the Radar’s 13th annual Artist Survey we emailed some of our favorite artists a few questions relating to 2015. We asked them about their favorite albums of the year and their thoughts on various notable 2015 news stories involving either the music industry or world events, as well as some quirkier personal questions.

Check out our Best of 2015 print and digital issues for answers from Arcade Fire’s Will Butler, Julien Baker, Blanck Mass, CHVRCHES, Dan Deacon, The Dears, Dutch Uncles, EL VY, Everything Everything, Father John Misty, Field Music, The Flaming Lips, How to Dress Well, Sondre Lerche, Low, Luna, Mew, NZCA Lines, Cullen Omori, Natalie Prass, Small Black, Surfer Blood, Tamaryn, Telekinesis, Vampire Weekend’s Chris Baio, The Walkmen, Youth Lagoon, and others.

Here are some answers from Finn Andrews of The Veils. The Veils are based in London, where Andrews was born, but Andrews also partly grew up in New Zeleand. The band’s last album, their fourth, was 2013’s Time Stays, We Go. Last fall the band announced they had signed to Nettwerk and were working on a new album that would feature a collaboration with El-P (of Run the Jewels).

Top 10 Albums of 2015

1. Aphex Twin: Syro—This record sounds like nothing else, he announced it on the Darknet and his press photos look like a ketamine-induced ‘90s nightmare. Aphex Twin makes everyone else look like total jerks.
2. Low: Ones and Sixes—I’ve loved Low ever since Sophia (The Veils’ bass player) played them to me when we were 15 and we listened to their album Trust in its entirety over and over and over. This one is their best in a few years and will hopefully introduce some newbies to them. Mimi Parker’s voice is a miracle and one of the best we’ve got, IMHO.
3. The Fall: Sub-Lingual Tablet—Any year The Fall put an album out, they’re in my Top 10. This one’s very good though.
4. Oneohtrix Point Never: Garden of Delete—Almost can’t deal with this guy’s spiraling, menacing brilliance. The top YouTube comment I saw said, “This shit slapped me in my stupid face.” Agreed.
5. Marek Zebrowski & David Lynch: Polish Night Music (Reissue)—This is a reissue from 2007, I think. Beautiful stuff.
6. Unknown Mortal Orchestra: Multi-Love—Just hearing the title Multi-Love gets the song stuck in my head for a week. One of the best things about being from New Zealand is that you got to see The Mint Chicks live and know that Ruban [Nielson] has always been this good, it’s just that more people know about him now.
7. Marlon Williams: Marlon Williams—I sort of wish I could be 19 again so I could try and be as good as Marlon Williams. He’s a classy bugger. Why isn’t “Heaven For You” on the record, though?
8. Car Seat Headrest: Teens of Style—I’m new to Car Seat Headrest, but I’ve been really enjoying this record. Car Seat Headrest is possibly my favorite new band name too.
9. Lana Del Rey: Honeymoon—Okay, okay, I know this is a guilty pleasure, but I love Lana Del Rey almost as much as I love Los Angeles, though I understand both are acquired tastes. I think she was brave to make an album this low-key and uncommercial, given the sorts of pressure she must be under from her label and the numerous other devils that sprout up around those that have “hits.” She’s cool, I reckon.
10. Benjamin Clementine: At Least For Now—He just won the Mercury [Prize], so doesn’t really need any further props, but this album is sensational. My girlfriend said it’s like covering yourself in warm cream, which I guess it is, but in a nice way.

What was the highlight of 2015, for either you personally or for the band? What was the low point?

The high point was getting to record at David Lynch’s house. The low point was running out of money a few months ago and living off lime rind and pulses.

What are your hopes and plans for 2016?

We have a new album coming out in June and we hope to tour the living shit out of it.

What’s your earliest music-related childhood memory?

My mum used to cook for Diana Ross and she took me to see her when I was seven. Her drummer gave me a drum skin afterwards with “Hold your rhythm close” written on it. I often think about that.

Following the terrorist attack at the Eagles of Death Metal concert in Paris do you think that security at music venues should be improved and do you now worry about something similar happening at one of your shows?

I’ve already heard about a lot of bigger bands in the U.K. demanding armed security at their shows—I think it’s nuts. The idea of having more guns around to make people safer is absurd to all sane people I think. Just play your show and get on with it.

Joanna Newsom took five years to release her new album, while Beach House released two albums only a couple of months apart. What’s your ideal window between album releases?

Yeah, but harps are really hard to tune. There are way more mediocre records in the world because of people running out of money or being pressured into putting something out than from people taking it slow and steady.

If Mark Kozelek starts a fresh beef in a forest and nobody is around to write a 600-word thinkpiece about it, does he still make a sound?

Is that the guy from the Red House Painters? I’m not sure what you mean, but yes, I think he would still make a sound.

www.theveils.com