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.
The Letter
The Veils Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
passes by my bed
undeniable, and all she said
she wrote the letter
hard to find love
since you arrived here
harder to find the love
She wrote the letter
down
She wrote the letter
down
I know I know I know
you felt a change in my heart
I know I know I know
the planets ripped you apart
I know I know I know
all the sins they knew no better
I know I know I know
all that I've lost
is bound to pass
dying to know
too afraid to ask
she wrote the letter
Hard to find love
when your a walking blind in here
go wash your heart in the river
till the water runs clear
she wrote the letter
down
she wrote the letter
down
she wrote the letter
down
I know I know I know
you felt a change in my heart
I know I know I know
the planets ripped you apart
I know I know I know
when the sins all know no better
I know I know I know
Love, I just want to say it right
Love, I just want to say it right
Goodbye
Goodbye
Goodbye
The Veils' "The Letter" is a song about lost love and the longing to rekindle that love. The song starts with the singer dreaming about the woman who wrote him a letter, a letter that he can't forget. He says that it is hard to find love and even more difficult to find the kind of love that he had with her. He knows that he has hurt her and he feels guilty about it. He acknowledges that she felt a change in his heart and that the planets ripped her apart.
The singer tries to find solace in the fact that all that he has lost is bound to pass, but he is too afraid to ask for her forgiveness. He knows that the sins he committed were wrong but he hopes that she understands that he did not know any better. He wishes to say the words “love” and “goodbye” in the right way before they are truly gone.
The song is melancholic and emotional, with a haunting melody that complements the lyrics perfectly. It's a song that speaks to anyone who has experienced heartbreak and the feeling of knowing what they've lost, but not being able to get it back.
Line by Line Meaning
All the night her dream
Throughout the night, she dreams of something
passes by my bed
The dream occurs close to the singer
undeniable, and all she said
The dream's message is beyond doubt
she wrote the letter
She expressed the dream's message through writing
hard to find love
Finding love is challenging
since you arrived here
The singer's struggles with love began when the receiver arrived
harder to find the love
Love has become even more challenging to find
then pull your body near
Then, to be able to be intimate with the receiver
She wrote the letter
She expressed her impactful message through writing
down
It was put down in writing
I know I know I know
The singer knows with absolute certainty
you felt a change in my heart
The receiver noticed a change in the artist's emotions
the planets ripped you apart
The natural order caused difficulties for the receiver
all the sins they knew no better
It wasn't their fault for making mistakes
all that I've lost
The singer has lost something
is bound to pass
The loss will eventually subside
dying to know
The artist is eager to know something
too afraid to ask
The singer doesn't want to ask for fear of the answer
Hard to find love
It's still difficult to find love
when your a walking blind in here
Being blindly lost in this situation is challenging
go wash your heart in the river
Cleanse and purify your heart
till the water runs clear
Until the heart is completely purified
Love, I just want to say it right
The singer wants to express their love perfectly
Goodbye
The artist says goodbye
Contributed by Makayla W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@joaquimolivasala9087
2009 : " Tota nit el seu somni
Passa al costat del meu llit
Innegable tot el què ella va dir
Ella va escriure la carta
Difícil de trobar l'amor
Des que vas arribar aquí
Més difícil de trobar l'amor
Després que el teu cos és a prop
Ella va escriure la carta
A baix
Ella va escriure la carta
A baix
Ho sé, ho sé, ho sé
Vas sentir un canvi en el meu cor
Ho sé, ho sé, ho sé
Els planetes et van destrossar
Ho sé, ho sé, ho sé
Tots els pecats que sabien que no eren millors
Ho sé, ho sé, ho sé
Tot el que he perdut
Està destinat a passar
Morir per saber
Massa por a preguntar
Ella va escriure la carta
Difícil de trobar l'amor
Quan ets un cec caminant per aquí
Vés a rentar-te el cor al riu
Fins que l'aigua corri clara
Ella va escriure la carta
A baix
Ella va escriure la carta
A baix
Ella va escriure la carta
A baix
Ho sé, ho sé, ho sé
Vas sentir un canvi en el meu cor
Ho sé, ho sé, ho sé
Els planetes et van destrossar
Ho sé, ho sé, ho sé
Quan tots els pecats sabien que ho hi havia res millor
Ho sé, ho sé, ho sé
Amor, només vull dir-ho bé
Amor, només vull dir-ho bé
adéu
adéu
adéu "
@phillybms
Thank you David Lynch. One song in Twin Peaks and I'm now discovering that everything this band recorded is amazing.
@josephalessio2323
I'd given them a listen a while back and thought it decent but sorta forgot about them—after seeing them in Twin Peaks with that incredible song it gave me a fresh appreciation B)
@indiesongaday
Sometimes, unfortunately, it takes something like a TV show to help break a band. The Shins in 'Garden State' for example.
@BryanGlosemeyer
Same here!
@jgj0263
totally agree
@HandsomeDevilRamirez
THE VEILS ARE AMAZING!!! Finn Andrews is a legend.
@HandsomeDevilRamirez
Finn's songs & lips are amazing. I cannot believe he doesnt have a gang of groupies. Rock on, Finn Andrews
@MarchofClouds
Finn is nothing short of amazing. With each album, The Veils just get better and better.
@chelojavier
Great Band !!!! From the Ass of the World, Argentina, this is one of my favorite band. And "Runaway Found" .....wow ! One of the essential albums in any collection.
@neowashere
Best song from the new album, I love it!! The Leavers Dance is this their best song ever :D!