The Veils

All Music Guide:

As the son of keyboardist Barry Andrews (XTC, Shriekback), the Veils' Finn Andrews knew nothing else except a world full of music and art. He had plans to become a painter as a young lad; however, a move to his grandmother's abode in Devonport, New Zealand (near Auckland) with his mother pointed Andrews in a different direction during his teenage years. He frequented the local folk scene to escape the ho-hum of country living. Once consumed with his father's electronic work from the 1980s, Andrews was now interested in Patti Smith, Bob Dylan, and Tom Waits.

In 2001, Andrews (vocals/guitar), then 18, returned to London. He befriended Ben Woollacott (drums), Adam Kinsella (bass), and Oliver Drake (guitar), and in a few months time the Veils were born. By fall, Rough Trade's Geoff Travis signed the foursome to the Blanco y Negro imprint, and immediately the Veils began working on their first album. They issued the single "Guiding Light" in 2002; however, contractual disparities and artistic differences with Blanco y Negro turned into a two-year battle until Travis signed the Veils to Rough Trade proper in mid-2003. Luckily, the Veils were able to keep songs recorded during that time. A second single, the lovelorn "Lavinia," was well received at indie rock radio in the U.K.. Shared dates with the Raveonettes, Beth Orton, and British Sea Power preceded the spring 2004 release of the Veils' debut, The Runaway Found.

The album had only been out two months when Andrews announced the departure of Woollacott, Kinsella, and Drake. In late June 2004, Andrews explained via the Veils' website, www.theveils.com) that a second album was already in the works, but that the original members would not be involved. Instead, he had returned to New Zealand, where he met up with former high-school classmates Sophia Burn (bass) and Liam Gerard (piano, organ), who then went back with him to London to begin Nux Vomica, the Veils' sophomore release, an album that then came out in the winter of 2006 (and the spring of 2007 in the U.S.). For the accompanying tour Andrews added drummer Henning Dietz and guitarist Dan Raishbrook to the band. Sun Gangs arrived in spring 2009.

Wikipedia:

The Veils are a London-based indie/alternative rock band fronted by lead singer and songwriter Finn Andrews. They are known for their chaotic and highly cathartic live performances and Finn's often scarily possessed stage presence. Head of Rough Trade Records Geoff Travis has referred to Finn as "a young but maturing real artist in the vein of Nick Cave and David Bowie".

History [edit]

Early years, The Runaway Found and split (2001–2004) [edit]

Finn Andrews, son of XTC/Shriekback keyboardist Barry Andrews, spent his teens playing in folk bands in Auckland, New Zealand. When he was 16, a set of demos he sent to record companies created a stir and led to invitations to come to London and make a record.

The Veils were signed to Blanco y Negro, an indie/major hybrid imprint led by Rough Trade's boss Geoff Travis but funded by Warner Music. On 19 August 2002 the band released a promo only single "Death & Co.", while a proper commercial single release came three months later, on 18 November, for "More Heat Than Light" followed by "The Leavers Dance" (24 February 2003), which was distributed exclusively at gigs.. By then increasing contractual disparities and artistic differences between the head of Warner and Geoff Travis delayed plans for a debut album. The Blanco Y Negro label was eventually disbanded and the dispute turned into a court battle with The Veils eventually regaining ownership of their master recordings from Warner Music. By mid-2003 Geoff Travis had signed them to Rough Trade Records.

The Veils recorded four more songs with producer Bernard Butler (ex-Suede guitarist), and the band finally released its first Rough Trade single, "Guiding Light" (28 July 2003), though the long awaited debut LP was released only as a promo in Spain and the U.K. that November. Single releases of "Lavinia" (24 November 2003) and "The Wild Son" (26 January 2004) led to The Runaway Found finally hitting the shelves on 16 February 2004. Rapturously received by the critics the album was a collection of songs recorded over four years with three different producers, and by the time of its release Andrews felt unhappy with the direction the band had taken and, allegedly following altercations between him and other members, The Veils first incarnation split mid-2004.

New line-up and Nux Vomica (2005–2006) [edit]

Andrews left the UK early 2005 and embarked on a solo tour of America and Japan, eventually returning home to New Zealand where he found a new direction for the band. He spent the summer there rehearsing with high-school friends Liam Gerrard (keyboards) and Sophia Burn (bass) in Liam's bedroom, soon amassing an album's worth of material. When the trio returned to London they were joined by Dan Raishbrook (guitar) and Henning Dietz (drums), who completed the new line-up. They began recording sessions with producer Nick Launay in Los Angeles in early 2006. The resulting album 'Nux Vomica' had a darker, far heavier and more complex sound, augmented by string arrangements by ex Lounge Lizard Jane Scarpantoni, but also a newly found, highly animalistic energy. Lead singer Finn Andrews shows "rougher" and more experimental vocals on many of the songs such as 'Not Yet' and 'Jesus for the Jugular'. Two singles were released from the album: "Advice for Young Mothers to Be" (4 September 2006) and "One Night on Earth" (15 April 2007). Nux Vomica featured on 16 English and American critics' best of the year lists in 2006.

Sun Gangs (2007–2009) [edit]

In the 16 months following the release of Nux Vomica The Veils played over 250 shows across 15 countries and during the U.S. leg of the tour it was announced that keyboardist Liam Gerrard would leave the band to return home to New Zealand due to personal reasons. The Veils carried on as a four piece and, whilst living out of a classic car garage in Oklahoma City, started recording new demos at The Flaming Lips studio between playing shows on the east and west coasts of the America. By mid-2008 they were back to London to begin work on their third album with producer Graham Sutton. The recording sessions at West Point Studios lasted only three weeks and at the end of the summer the album was done and ready to be mixed. In March 2009 they began touring the new songs in Europe and America with new drummer Raife Burchell, after Henning Dietz' defection. Sun Gangs was released on 6 April 2009 and was featured in many websites top albums of 2009.

Troubles of the Brain EP (2010-2011) [edit]

The band spent the summer of 2010 working on new material. On 6 December it was announced that a new 7 song EP entitled Troubles of the Brain was set to be released on 24 January, and that the band had left Rough Trade after almost 9 years and started their own label, Pitch Beast Records. The EP is produced by Finn Andrews and Bernard Butler and was recorded at Finn's home studio in London. In March 2011 The Veils headlined a benefit concert for the NZ Red Cross in London, playing a selection of songs from the EP.

Time Stays, We Go (2013) [edit]

The Veils 4th album was recorded in Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles and is scheduled for release on 29 April 2013. In January the band recorded a 5 song live session at Abbey Road Studios to be released as exclusive content with the new record, and on 13 February 2013 released one song from the album 'Through the Deep, Dark Wood' as a free download on their website and Facebook page.