Refreshingly passionate… Andrews rages with a Herculean intensity.” Guardian
The Veils released their new album, ‘Asphodels’, on January 24th via V2 Records. English/New Zealand singer songwriter Finn Andrews signed to Rough Trade at 16 years old and has gone onto release seven studio albums, as well as the solo album ‘One Piece At A Time’. Praised as one of finest songwriters of his generation, fans include cult film directors Paolo Sorrentino, Tim Burton and David Lynch. All have used The Veils music in their soundtracks.
We had a preview of what to expect on the album with the release of the new single/video “The Ladder”. The single “The Ladder” was initially inspired by the crazed and mystical paintings of Hieronymus Bosch, who often painted ladders as routes to psychological exploration. Andrews explains, “It’s about the longing to transcend the relentless chaos of our world, I suppose. But don’t let that description get you down, it’s also a jaunty little number.”
The string arrangements were written to sound more like another member of the band, as opposed to something just laid haphazardly over the top. They rise and fall in unison with the band, and are the star of the record. Andrews continues, “This harks back to all the old records I grew up listening to in my youth, recorded in times before multitrack recording where the band would all be in one room gathered around a single microphone.”
The new album ‘Asphodels’ ‘takes its name from the Ancient Greek flower of the Underworld. Lyrically, Andrews draws more from poets like Federico García Lorca, Ted Hughes and Louis MacNeice than he does from the well of more traditional rock and roll songwriters. The collaboration between Andrews and string arranger Victoria Kelly is also a central aspect to the record.
“I feel as though this album is the end result of a now disconcertingly long career in music,” says Andrews. “I think after your 7th album, much like turning 40, you should really just stop counting. I’ve learned a lot along the way, which I suppose is the whole point, and I’ve really distilled it all into these 9 songs.”
As well as releasing the studio albums, The Veils have toured consistently throughout their twenty-year career and gained a formidable reputation as one of the world’s greatest live bands. They will tour the UK in February 2025. For full details of the album and the tour please checkout their website & socials:
