The Veils

Enigmatic frontman Finn Andrews steers the Veils, whose reputation rests on unpredictable nocturnal textures fused with emotionally charged rock songcraft. Born in England yet raised in New Zealand, Andrews joined Rough Trade while still a teenager and guided the band across three albums in their opening decade, among them the 2006 standout Nux Vomica. Their concerts delivered an intense live presence, whereas studio work grew ever more layered and immersive, securing placements in films and television series by filmmakers including Tim Burton and David Lynch. After Total Depravity in 2016, Andrews issued a solo album and toured alone. Persevering through injury and multiple personal transitions, he reassembled the Veils for the 2023 double album …And Out of the Void Came Love and Asphodels in 2025.

The son of former XTC and Shriekback member Barry Andrews, Finn Andrews entered the world in London before his childhood unfolded in New Zealand. Surrounded by music from an early age, Andrews emerged from Auckland’s folk circuit, performing with local groups and penning many songs that later appeared on the band’s debut. Interest from U.K. labels drew him back to London in 2001, where he assembled the first version of the Veils. Endorsed by Rough Trade’s Geoff Travis, they signed swiftly to the Blanco y Negro imprint and issued several singles across the following two years. Tensions between Travis and Warner Bros., Blanco y Negro’s parent company, prompted the Veils to shift to Rough Trade proper for their 2004 debut.

The Runaway Found carried production from Suede’s Bernard Butler and drew favorable reviews at release, yet disagreements with his bandmates led Andrews to disband the original lineup. Although personnel shifted frequently, a stable rhythm section coalesced around Kiwi bassist Sophia Burn and English drummer Henning Dietz, both first featured on 2006’s Nux Vomica. Recorded in Los Angeles by Nick Cave producer Nick Launay, the album introduced a moodier, more dynamic palette enriched by string sections and a nocturnal sheen that became a signature of the Veils’ sound. An extensive global tour preceded the 2009 release of Sun Gangs, their third and final album for Rough Trade.

For the 2011 EP Troubles of the Brain, the band launched their own Pitch Beast label, which also issued the 2013 full-length Time Stays, We Go along with a live EP recorded at Abbey Road Studios. Their cinematic aesthetic secured multiple film placements, among them the song “Another Night on Earth” in Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie.

Venturing further into darker territory, the Veils collaborated with producers El-P, Adam Greenspan, and Dean Hurley on their fifth album. Laden with somber themes and unsettling nuances, 2016’s Total Depravity appeared on Nettwerk and led to Andrews appearing in a 2017 episode of David Lynch’s Twin Peaks revival. He then recorded the solo album One Piece at a Time, issued in early 2019. While promoting that release, an impassioned Andrews fractured his wrist onstage yet completed the remaining dates, aggravating the injury.

A protracted recovery overlapped with the 2020 pandemic lockdowns as Andrews composed new material one-handed. Following further obstacles and the arrival of his daughter, he emerged with an abundance of fresh songs that adopted a more optimistic outlook. Reviving the Veils, he and producer Tom Healy split the sessions into two parts, yielding the 2023 double album …And Out of the Void Came Love. Asphodels in 2025 was tracked live to tape at Auckland’s Roundhead Studios and incorporated string arrangements by Victoria Kelly.