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.
Begin Again
The Veils Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That made you blind
It's just a hollow name
We'll leave behind
Well to coin a phrase
Is just a waste of time
With all that disgrace
We're all just following the light
Of long dead stars
It's the acid rain
Sent from above
And it's the joy and pain
You'll grow to love
It's the sweetest thing
You'll never know
And the truth will sting
And so it goes
So hard just following the light
Of long dead stars
To begin again
To feel it all
To feel no pain
When I do fall
And see the face of god
And the roaring flames
Know death from above
Is death all the same
We're all just following the light
Of long dead stars
In "Begin Again" by The Veils, lead singer Finn Andrews sings about the journey of life and how it can both blind and enlighten us. Andrews sings that the road we lay down for ourselves can cause us to be blind to the reality around us. He also suggests that using cliches, or "coining a phrase," is completely pointless as it doesn't do anything to address the shame that we are holding onto in our minds.
Andrews continues with the idea that we are all following the light of long dead stars, meaning that we all have our paths that we must follow and we can learn from those who came before us. He then talks about acid rain which falls from above and the fact that the joys and pains that we experience in life are things we often grow to love. Andrews reflects on how the things we think are so sweet are actually things we will never fully understand, and the truth can hurt, but it's a necessary part of the journey.
The song's final verse hints at the idea of rebirth, and Andrews urges us to "begin again," and to experience all the emotions that come with life without fear of pain. He talks about seeing the face of God and knowing the ultimate fate of death, but also knowing that death is not something to fear as it comes for everyone. In a way, the song is about accepting all aspects of life, the good and the bad, and starting again with an open mind so we can experience everything life has to offer.
Line by Line Meaning
It's the road you layed
The choices you made in life shaped who you are today
That made you blind
Sometimes our past decisions prevent us from seeing things clearly
It's just a hollow name
Pursuing fame and fortune doesn't necessarily bring fulfillment
We'll leave behind
When we pass away, the things we accumulated in life don't matter
Well to coin a phrase
Creating a catchy expression doesn't solve anything
Is just a waste of time
Putting effort into trivial things is unproductive
With all that disgrace
Feeling ashamed of past mistakes can be burdensome
Laying in your mind
Our inner thoughts can hold us back if we dwell on negativity
We're all just following the light
We seek guidance from things that have come before us
Of long dead stars
The wisdom of those who have passed on is sometimes all we have to learn from
It's the acid rain
Sometimes bad things happen beyond our control
Sent from above
These bad things can feel like they're coming from a higher power
And it's the joy and pain
Life is full of ups and downs
You'll grow to love
We eventually grow to accept these highs and lows as part of the human experience
It's the sweetest thing
The good moments in life are often the most precious
You'll never know
Unfortunately, these good moments don't always stay with us
And the truth will sting
Hearing the truth can be painful, but it's necessary for growth
And so it goes
Life keeps moving forward whether we're ready for it or not
So hard just following the light
Following the guidance of others isn't always easy
To begin again
Starting fresh is sometimes necessary for growth
To feel it all
Experiencing the ups and downs of life brings richness to our existence
To feel no pain
The absence of pain is a fleeting, but sweet feeling
When I do fall
Mistakes and failure are inevitable, but they can be opportunities to learn
And see the face of god
Connecting with a higher power can bring comfort and understanding
And the roaring flames
The fires of life can both destroy and purify
Know death from above
Recognizing our own mortality can put life into perspective
Is death all the same
Everyone meets the same fate in the end, regardless of our differences
Contributed by Maya O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Hannah King
How is this not a bigger song??? Like dude this is amazing
34cellardoor
simple but powerful, lingers in your head way after it's over, just like Finn's voice.
Jo Martinusen
This video is really simple, but somehow incredibly profound.
nickygirl695
I could listen to this forever. And I think I will.
FMR
same here
Charles Briggs
incredible So beautiful. Thank you for making this. I'm in tears in the best way. Stunning!
Kenny Wood
Great song and video from a great band!
Gimble
The calmness of the song is such a lovely companion to the deeply personal clips shown on the small screen. Kinda enlightening.
Abbe Beck
Ahh The beauty of an extended family the diversity that you grow with that makes you so unique and accessible. Finn, what a wonderful child a beautiful man.
Mackmation
Really beautiful and ugly video. I love The Veils' work. The lost shot is amazing.