Their sound has been compared to artists as diverse as Jeff Buckley, The Birthday Party, The Smiths, and Joy Division. Their live shows have become famed for their emotional intensity and Finn's often scarily possessed stage presence and his unique singing voice.
They released their debut album, The Runaway Found, in Spain late in 2003. The first single from the album, Lavinia, was released through Rough Trade on November 24, 2003. They released the album globally in January 2004 with a different track listing. It went gold worldwide the following year.
The original lineup of The Veils (which included Oli Drake, Ben Woollacott and Adam Kinsella) disbanded in late 2004, and Andrews returned to New Zealand in order to find a new lineup. He spent the New Zealand summer rehearsing with high school classmates Liam Gerrard (keyboards) and Sophia Burn (bass), and the trio returned to London early 2005. There they got connected to Dan Raishbrook (Guitar) and Henning Dietz (drums). However Liam Gerrard left the band half way into their American tour in 2007.
The group recorded their second album Nux Vomica at Underbelly Studios in Los Angeles, with producer Nick Launay, and the album was released September 18, 2006. The album features string arrangements by ex-Lounge Lizard and long time Lou Reed collaborator Jane Scarpontoni. Nux Vomica featured on 9 critics' Best Of The Year lists in 2006.
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 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 (of Jetplane Landing), after Henning Dietz' defection. Sun Gangs was released on April 6 2009 and was featured in many websites top albums of 2009.
The band spent the summer of 2010 working on new material. On December 6 it was announced that a new 7 song EP entitled Troubles of the Brain is set to be released on January 24, 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 mid 2012 The Veils threatened legal action on UK hardcore band Veils due to the similarity in name. This forced Veils to alter the spelling of their name to Vales.
The Veils released their next album in april 2013 titled , ‘Time Stays, We Go’ in April 2013. Three years later Total Depravity (2016) saw the daylight.
In 2016 David Lynch revealed that Finn would appear in the new series of Twin Peaks due to air early 2017.
In 2023 The Veils released ...And Out of the Void Came Love after a long struggle with songwriting that only came together after the birth of Andrews' first child. The COVID pandemic had seen the departure of longtime members Dietz and Burn (who had been the longest continuous presence in the band after Andrews) and the arrival of Tiny Ruins bassist Cass Basil.
Axolotl
The Veils Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Axolotl, amphibian
Un-elemental chemicals
Got me growing six black tentacles
A little nightmarish, a little maudlin
Good golly go get the kid some laudanum!
Salvation's more than I can afford
Oh my soul
Losing control
Who built this heart?
Oh my God.
Now Sister Maggie's coming in fleet-foot
Baby's got a belly full of black soot
I've got the feeling I'd better just stay put
Ah she'll love you better than any real man could
An accidental amphibian
I'm growing giddy as a Gideon
Another head for the chopping board
Who needs The Devil when you've got The Lord?
Oh my soul
Who's in control
Who built this heart?
Oh my God.
The Veils's song "Axolotl" is a haunting and dark track that speaks of transformation, loss of control, and reliance on outside forces for help. The song starts with the lyrics "I'm glowing bright, obsidian, Axolotl, amphibian" which sets the tone for the rest of the song. The axolotl is a type of salamander that has the ability to regenerate its limbs and organs, hence the reference to transformation. The singer of the song feels like they are changing into something they don't fully understand.
As the song progresses, the lyrics speak of "un-elemental chemicals" and how the singer is growing "six black tentacles." These lyrics suggest a sense of loss of control over one's own body and the feeling of being overtaken by some outside force. The singer then questions their own sense of salvation and whether they can even afford it. The line "who needs The Devil when you've got The Lord?" suggests a sense of hopelessness and resignation in the face of adversity.
The third verse introduces a character called "Sister Maggie" who seems to offer some sort of comfort or solution to the singer. However, the lyrics also contain the line "Baby's got a belly full of black soot" which could be a metaphor for something toxic or harmful. Overall, the song speaks to the human experience of feeling like we are losing control and searching for some sort of salvation or help outside of ourselves.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm glowing bright, obsidian
I am shining radiantly like obsidian
Axolotl, amphibian
I am like an axolotl, an amphibian that is capable of regeneration
Un-elemental chemicals
My body is made up of unconventional chemicals
Got me growing six black tentacles
I have grown six black tentacles
A little nightmarish, a little maudlin
I am a bit scary and gloomy
Good golly go get the kid some laudanum!
Goodness gracious, give the child some pain relief!
Salvation's more than I can afford
I cannot afford salvation
Who needs The Devil when you've got The Lord?
We do not need the Devil when we have God.
Oh my soul
My spirit
Losing control
I am losing my sense of control
Who built this heart?
Who created my heart?
Oh my God
An exclamation indicating surprise or shock
Now Sister Maggie's coming in fleet-foot
Sister Maggie is coming quickly
Baby's got a belly full of black soot
The child's stomach is full of black soot
I've got the feeling I'd better just stay put
I have a sense that I should stay where I am
Ah she'll love you better than any real man could
She will love you more than any man could
An accidental amphibian
I became an amphibian accidentally
I'm growing giddy as a Gideon
I am becoming dizzy like Gideon
Another head for the chopping board
Another person to be condemned
Oh my soul
My spirit
Who's in control
Who is managing or controlling this situation?
Who built this heart?
Who created my heart?
Oh my God.
An exclamation indicating surprise or shock
Contributed by Evelyn R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@mmayer1558
I focking luve this song.
Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues"
"Maggie comes fleet-foot
Face full of black soot
Talking that the heat put..."
The Veils...
"Now Sister Maggie's coming in fleet-foot
Baby's got a belly full of black soot
I've got the feeling I'd better just stay put"
@martinblank6465
As legend has it, the axolotl is the Aztec god of fire and lightning, Xolotl, which disguised himself as a salamander to avoid being sacrificed.
@JosephMichael23
The Aztecs were savages, though. Other natives hated them, and they were already in decline, even before the Spaniards came.
(Im Mexican-American; i looked into Mexico’s history.)
@leonidaspapu3912
@@JosephMichael23cuz
@valentinovigovv
David Lynch has an amazing musical taste.
@xonetwoseven
Doesn't stop their either, this dude's seen something that few have and art it the only place to show it
@JackieBorelli
crawls on the floor, screaming
@98jcb
Jackie That’s how I spend all my Friday nights. 😆
@MrCecil
Such a great wordless scene.
@chucklangdale8507
I'm waiting for someone.
@rayg2362
twin peaks really has awesome songs