Feature: The Veils - In Behind The Veils
Author: Emma Philpott (photography by Jake Walters)
On the night of The Veils' launch party for 'Nux Vomica' there is a Kiwi invasion underway across London. Goldenhorse are at Water Rats in Kings Cross, Bic Runga is playing at London University College and Die! Die! Die! are at the Buffalo Bar in Islington. It must have been a hard choice for some.There is an audible buzz of excitement in basement jazz haunt the 100 Club which loiters on the shopping mile of Oxford Street. The room is packed with a music industry-heavy audience. Aside from ex-Wellington lads Connan and the Mockasins who have the support slot, there is hardly a New Zealander within earshot among the 300-strong crowd.
On stage The Veils' leader Finn Andrews flashes a wicked smile at the packed room. Jesus for the Jugular sees his face twist and contort - swinging wildly between fragility and howling like he has the devil inside him. While keyboard player Liam Gerrard and bassist Sophia Burn still seem to be warming to the spotlight, Finn is clearly in his element onstage. They finish with album opener Not Yet, Finn commenting that he's heard that phrase a lot over the last few years.
The core of Finn worshippers in the front rows are wildly enthusiastic, and The Veils will have succeeded in winning over a few more in this outing - but not yet is still about right. The road to UK rock'n'roll glory is inevitably a long and windy one - even if your songs are this good.
In contrast, and despite having barely played in this country, there are a good number of fully paid up members of the Finn Andrews fan club within the Kiwi music scene. Distributed by Shock Records, 'Nux Vomica' has been released on the back of heavy airplay on the b-Net and Kiwi FM, with slowly growing support from rock radio for Advice For Young Mothers To Be. A good part of the reason is that a little further behind the scenes it enjoys the unreserved endorsement of NZ On Air music godfather Brendan Smyth.
"I personally am a huge Veils fan," he happily admits. "I think he is an extraordinary talent. The imagery, the poetry, the music - it's amazing. I became a disciple from that first album. I can't compare it to anything else I know in New Zealand music. When I saw them play I was totally transfixed - that concert was one of the great live music experiences of my life."
Having discovered 'The Runaway Found', NZ On Air took upon themselves to give it a shot at radio, putting single The Tide That Left and Never Came Back onto a Kiwi Hit Disc and also funding a video for it. As a result the song made it into the rock radio top 10 playlist for a brief period, though second single The Wild Son didn't fare as well. Smyth expects that at least three songs from 'Nux Vomica' will get the royal NZ On Air support.
In a West London pub a few days before the album is released, it is hard to believe The Veils are being praised in industry-wide plaudits back home. While Finn looks the part - a spitting image of the 'Nux Vomica' cover artwork in hat, black jacket, white shirt, even down to the designer stubble and cigarillos - these three faces are unlikely to be plastered on the cover of the NME anytime soon. Recent reports of airtime for single Advice For Young Mothers To Be on BBC Radio 1 and 2 have surprised Finn.
"I decided that it didn't matter and I don't care if they play it," he says. "I was alright with that so it's kind of surprising that that's starting to happen. I'm sure we'll fuck it up later."
