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.
Guiding Light
The Veils Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just better without
This noose around my neck
Is counting me out
Whenever I run
My beautiful sin
Is calling outside
Now our every last effort tried
So far has been denied
It's easy to cry for love
Far harder to try
There goes my guiding light
Farewell my guiding light
There goes my guiding light
I fought my way in
But I can't find a way out
Of this weightless regret
Surrounding me now
And whenever I run
Some beautiful sin
Is calling outside
And it's that that reminds me of you
Now our every last effort tried
So far has been denied
It's easy to cry for love
Far harder to try
There goes my guiding light
Farewell my guiding light
There goes my guiding light
Farewell my guiding light
There goes my guiding light
There goes my guiding light
There goes my guiding light
The Veils’ song ‘Guiding Light’ speaks from the perspective of someone trying to navigate through life without their “guiding light”. This is a metaphorical reference to someone who has been a steady presence in their life, most likely a lover or close friend who is no longer there. The singer claims that they are “fine from within”, but they are “better without” this person who has been a source of pain, likening the experience to a noose around their neck. The phrase “beautiful sin” speaks to the idea that something that feels and seems good can ultimately be destructive in the end.
Despite the singer’s attempts at moving on, they cannot seem to escape the memory of this person. Every time they try to run away from the past, they find themselves confronted by their memories once again. They also mention that all their efforts to forget this person have been in vain so far. The line “It's easy to cry for love/Far harder to try” is particularly poignant because it suggests that it is easier to feel sorry for oneself than to actively work towards healing and moving on. This is a common theme in many songs about heartbreak and loss, where the singer is struggling to come to terms with their emotions.
Overall, ‘Guiding Light’ touches upon the pain of loss and the difficulty of moving on. It acknowledges that even when someone has caused us pain, their absence can leave us feeling empty and lost. The song is also a reminder that healing takes time and effort - it’s not easy to move on from someone who has been a significant part of our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm fine from within
I may appear to be okay on the surface, but truly, I am struggling internally.
Just better without
I have found that it is easier for me to cope when I am alone and free of the complications that come with relationships.
This noose around my neck
I feel trapped and suffocated by the circumstances of my life.
Is counting me out
I fear that I am being defeated by the struggles that I face.
Whenever I run
In times of distress, I try to escape from my problems.
My beautiful sin
I often turn to things that may not be the most morally sound, but bring me temporary comfort anyway.
Is calling outside
The temptation to indulge in my vices is ever-present.
And it's that that reminds me of you
Thinking about the good times I spent with a previous love only reinforces my desire to engage in self-destructive behaviors.
Now our every last effort tried
Despite all of the effort that we have put into our relationship, things just aren't working out.
So far has been denied
Our attempts to fix things have been unsuccessful.
It's easy to cry for love
It's simple to yearn for love, but it's much harder to make it work.
Far harder to try
Putting in the work to fix a relationship takes a lot of effort and self-reflection.
There goes my guiding light
The love that once gave me hope and direction is no longer present.
Farewell my guiding light
I must say goodbye to the hope that I once clung to.
I fought my way in
I have faced many obstacles in my life, but I have managed to overcome them all - until now.
But I can't find a way out
Despite my best efforts, I feel stuck and unsure of how to move forward.
Of this weightless regret
I am filled with feelings of remorse and sadness that weigh heavily on my heart.
Surrounding me now
These feelings are ever-present and seem to be intensifying.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: IVAN GOUGH, CHRIS ANDREWS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind