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.
Calliope!
The Veils Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Laying bare with the granite and the moths
Up, I clambered and I was met by the sun
It was then I saw you there, down on the street
My love
You've come such a long way
With no one to comfort you
You and I come from the same place
But if I were to come for you
What's there left to believe in?
So I signaled up to the high and crumbling moon
We've made it then, my love
Closed both my eyes and crawled under the sink
And as I dreamt, I swear, I felt you in my arms again
You've come such a long way
With no one to comfort you
Or to tell you you're needed
You and I come from the same place
But if I were to come for you
What's there left to believe in?
You're all I have left to believe in
The Veils’ song “Calliope” is a slow and haunting tune that explores themes of loneliness, desperation, and yearning for companionship. The opening line “I woke this morning deep in the earth, laying bare with the granite and the moths” suggests the singer is in a dark and solitary place, feeling detached from society. He then goes on to talk about seeing someone he loves deeply, but he questions whether his presence would mean anything to them. He mentions how they both come from the same place, indicating some common ground, but wonders if there is anything left to believe in.
The lyrics are open to interpretation, but one can sense the emotional turmoil of the singer as he navigates through feelings of isolation and the desire for human connection. It’s a melancholic song that showcases the mesmerizing vocals of Finn Andrews, the lead singer of The Veils. The listener is drawn into the singer’s pensive thoughts and can’t help but feel empathy for his sense of hopelessness.
Line by Line Meaning
I woke this morning deep in the earth
I woke up feeling lost and buried in my thoughts
Laying bare with the granite and the moths
Feeling exposed and vulnerable among the hard and dark things around me
Up, I clambered and I was met by the sun
I struggled to get up and face the day, but the warmth of the sun greeted me
It was then I saw you there, down on the street
In that moment, I saw you down on the street and it gave me hope
My love
Addressing the person I love and care for deeply
You've come such a long way
I recognize how far you've come in your journey
With no one to comfort you
Acknowledging the lack of support you've experienced
Or to tell you you're needed
Not receiving the validation and recognition for all your efforts
You and I come from the same place
We share a common background and history
But if I were to come for you
If I were to reach out to you and offer my help
What's there left to believe in?
What else is there to hold onto and put our faith in?
So I signaled up to the high and crumbling moon
Feeling desperate, I looked up to the moon for guidance and comfort
We've made it then, my love
Acknowledging the progress we've made together
Closed both my eyes and crawled under the sink
Retreating and hiding from the world and its challenges
And as I dreamt, I swear, I felt you in my arms again
Finding solace and comfort in the thought of your presence
You're all I have left to believe in
You're the only thing I have left to hold onto and believe in
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: FINN ANDREWS, GERRARD LIAM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lumensis
I woke this morning deep in the earth Laying bare with the granite and the moths Up I clambered and I was met by the sun It was then I saw you there, down on the street
My love You've come such a long way With no one to comfort you Or to tell you you're needed
You and I come from the same place But if I were to call for you What's there left to believe in?
So I signaled up to the high and crumbling moon We've made it then, my love Closed both my eyes and crawled under the sink And as I dreamt I swear i felt you in my arms again
You've come such a long way With no one to comfort you Or to tell you you're needed
You and I come from the same place But if I were to call for you What's there left to believe in?
What's there left to believe in?
What's there left to believe in?
No way, you're looking down Took my heart and ripped my crown And i'm fallin' for ya, and i'm fallin' for ya, And i'm falling for you, ah, That's enough to believe in.
You've come such a long way With no one to comfort you Or to tell you you're needed
You and I come from the same place But if I were to call for you What's there left to believe in?
What's there left to believe in?
You're all i've left to believe in
Anais C
10 years of loving this song, the entire Nux Vomica album, really. So good.
abestrus
look up this song called TIME BY THE IMPURES
Joey Galanos
the first song I heard from The Veils was Vicious Traditions and I loved it, I listened to it at a movie, Mr Brooks They are great
122justme222
Great song!! Theyre really amazing! Glad I've discovered them yesterday!! looking forward to see them live!!
storm from xmen
look up this song called TIME BY THE IMPURES
Felipe Barragan
I just woke up to the name of this song in my mind. Great memories coming back.
Stacey Henry
Finn is truly his father's son when it comes to music!
Shawn Moodie
This song ages very well - still awesome
abestrus
@Alex Paulsen idk 90s and 80s are coming back now lol soooooooo
Alex Paulsen
Entire genres certainly age. The late 90's and early 2000s are definitely not something most smart people want to remember.