The Veils release new single "The Ladder" & announce new album 'Asphodels'
The Veils are an English/New Zealand rock band fronted by singer and songwriter Finn Andrews. Having just announced their seventh studio album, Asphodels, The Veils give us a taste of what’s to come with the release of “The Ladder.”
“After almost two decades of writing songs exclusively about love and death, it's nice to finally write something about home DIY equipment. This is unfortunately only partially true and it is ultimately, of course, a song about love and death.” says lead singer and songwriter Finn Andrews.
“The Ladder” was initially inspired by the crazed and mystical paintings of Hieronymus Bosch, who often painted ladders as routes to psychological exploration. Andrews explains, “It’s about the longing to transcend the relentless chaos of our world, I suppose. But don’t let that description get you down, it’s also a jaunty little number.” The string arrangements were written to sound more like another member of the band, as opposed to something just laid haphazardly over the top. They rise and fall in unison with the band, and are the star of the record. Andrews continues, “This harks back to all the old records I grew up listening to in my youth, recorded in times before multitrack recording where the band would all be in one room gathered around a single microphone.”
Asphodels was recorded live to tape over five days at Roundhead Studios in Aotearoa New Zealand, in the spring of 2023.
The Veils debut album The Runaway Found turned 20 last year which provided lead singer/songwriter Finn Andrews with a healthy dose of existential dread.
“I feel as though this album is the end result of a now disconcertingly long career in music,” says Andrews. “I think after your 7th album, much like turning 40, you should really just stop counting. I’ve learned a lot along the way, which I suppose is the whole point, and I’ve really distilled it all into these 9 songs.”
The album takes its name from the Ancient Greek flower of the Underworld, and lyrically, Andrews draws more from poets like Federico García Lorca, Ted Hughes or Louis MacNeice than he does from the well of more traditional rock and roll songwriters. The collaboration between Andrews and string arranger Victoria Kelly is also a central aspect to the record, and as with the band’s previous album …And Out Of The Void Came Love, Kelly plays a large role in bringing the songs to life.
Andrews says “I really wanted the string arrangements to behave like another member of the band. We even fleshed the character out, like an actor playing a role. It’s this collaboration with Vic that is really at the center of this record I think.”
The Veils made their glorious return to the stage in 2023/24 with sold out shows across Europe, North America & Australasia. The band will begin touring significantly again in support of Asphodels in early 2025.
A Brief History of The Veils
Since being signed to Rough Trade when lead singer Finn Andrews was 16 years old, The Veils have now released seven studio albums: The Runaway Found (2004), Nux Vomica (2006), Sun Gangs (2009), Time Stays, We Go (2013), Total Depravity (2016), ...And Out Of The Void Came Love (2023), Asphodels (2025). Finn’s debut solo album One Piece At A Time was released in 2019.
The Veils have toured consistently throughout their over twenty-year history and garnered a formidable reputation as one of the world’s greatest live bands. They have also been praised by film directors Paolo Sorrentino, Tim Burton and David Lynch who have all used their music on their soundtracks.
Finn now lives in Aotearoa New Zealand with his wife and daughter.
Previous praise for The Veils:
“Refreshingly passionate... Andrews rages with a Herculean intensity.” Guardian
“Horse-whipped, lightning-crash clamor... magnetic.” Pitchfork
“One of the finest songwriters of his generation.” Drowned in Sound
“The result is a masterpiece, a fulfilling sonic journey highlighting existential themes…and the perplexities of human existence’” Earmilk
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