Random Truths About… Caribou

1. What's the first piece of music you listened to today?
I'm afraid if I'm to be honest, it was one of my own tracks. I'm working on the video for our live show at the moment, so first thing in the morning I was listening to my own album to work out how to sync video up with it. Shame on me. Previous to that, I was singing “The Old Man Is Back Again” by Scott Walker in the shower, if that counts.

2. What are your vices?
Workaholism - to the detriment of those near and dear to me. And a vicious sweet tooth.

3. What is one of your prejudices?
I'm increasingly intolerant of religious fundamentalism of any variety. Irrationality gets under my skin.

4. In what way do you think music has the ability to change the way people live their lives?
Well... it just does, doesn't it? In a variety of ways... We're all vulnerable emotional wrecks I reckon and music certainly does the trick for me.

5. At what age did you first feel distrust?
I honestly can't remember. I think that by and large people seem trustworthy... I'm always disappointed when I come across a crook.

6. Do you think that your name is appropriate for you?
(If not, what name would be more appropriate?)

Daniel Victor Snaith has something of a ring to it.

7. What is the best piece of music you've ever created, in your opinion?
The best song I've ever written is “Melody Day” on my new record, Andorra. The best production I've ever made is perhaps “Irene” on my new record.

8. Right now, how are you trying to change yourself?
Last year I tried to “bulk up.” I failed miserably at that due to lack of exercise and long periods locked away making music. This year I'm going to improve my hand-eye coordination.

9. If you had the time, what else would you do?
I'd like to think that I'd read more or learn a language or volunteer somewhere or even just be a bit more sociable, but in reality, I'd inevitably just spend even more time making and listening to music.

10. What social cause do you feel the most strongly about (negative or positive)?
It's hard to even say “poverty” without coming off like Bono, but you'd have to have your head quite a long way up your ass not to acknowledge the majority of the world's population living in extreme poverty to be a serious issue.

11. What are your fears?
Drowning. Only drowning.

12. What is your favorite joke (tasteful or tasteless)?
I'm immediately wary of people who tell jokes.

13. Who is your favorite author?
I'm a terrible reader. Halfway down a page I'll realize I'm thinking about something completely different and not paying attention to what I'm reading. I've been trying to correct this in the past year but I think it would be a bit presumptuous of me to claim. I have a favorite author after having read only a dozen books in the past 10 years! Reading Gunter Grass' The Tin Drum and Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children both proved to be revelations last year.

14. What is your favorite movie?
Werner Herzog's Fitzcarraldo. Anyone who has talked to me in the past year or so will tell you that I'm a hopeless Herzog obsessive.

15. Favorite album(s) from the last few years?
Several things that I've been obsessed with of late:

James Holden’s The Idiots Are Winning
Panda Bear’s Person Pitch
Ariel Pink’s House Arrest
Junior Boys’ So This Is Goodbye

16. What would you like to know more about?
History.

Visit Caribou at http://www.myspace.com/cariboumanitoba.

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