Words With: The Veils

Questions answered by Finn Andrews, lead vocals & guitar and Ben Woollacott, drums.

Gigwise: How long have the band been together with the current line up?

Finn:  The Band has been together for nearly two years now.

Gigwise: Are you all friends as well as band members?

Finn & Ben:  Yeah we are all good friends.  Before we got the new tour van, we had an old postal van that certainly put friendship to the test due to its size.

Gigwise: When can we expect the debut album to be released?

Finn:  Yes!!!  It’s finished (he says looking very happy).  We just need to finalise the artwork but all being well it will be released in October.  We will be recording the album in The UK.

Gigwise: Would you consider doing a live album?

Finn & Ben:  Possibly, but you would need to have the demand, so perhaps somewhere down the line.

Gigwise:  What’s the best show you have played to date?

Finn & Ben:  All the shows on this tour with Bell X1, they are really cool guys.  The worst show was Workington, where we feared for our lives, the whole place was full of luminous fairies and other weird objects.

Gigwise:  How have the shows been so far?

Finn & Ben:  Aberdeen was one of the best shows, the people are fantastic.  We are really looking forward to the shows in Ireland with Bell X1.

Gigwise: What will be the next single release?

Finn:  The Tyde That Left And Never Came Back, I think this is the best song I have ever written.  We are really excited about this one as Guiding Light has had mixed reviews.

Gigwise: If you could choose any producer in the world who would it be?

Finn & Ben:  At the end of the day, it is the band that makes the final decisions, you therefore need a producer you feel comfortable with but won’t take over.

Gigwise: How many songs do you currently have that are at the finished stage?

Finn & Ben:  (Smiling they say), ten songs, the album.

Gigwise: What music are you currently listening to?

Finn:  Patti Smith & The Coral’s new tune ‘Pass It On’
Ben.  Bell X1 (yes really!) and Bob Dylan.

Gigwise: Would you say you are influenced by any music past or present?

Finn:  No not really, certainly not over the course of the album (he mentions The Coral again; I think he likes this tune.)

Gigwise: What was the last album you bought?

Finn:  A re-buy of The Smith’s album ‘The Queen Is Dead’ and the new British Sea Power album.
Ben.  The most recent one was The Chemical Brothers album.

Gigwise: What was the last gig you went to?

Finn & Ben:  Robert Plant at The Astoria and British Sea Power.

Gigwise: Do you have your own travelling sound engineer?

Finn:  We are in between at the moment, we would normally have Pierre, he has a few commitments but will be coming back soon.  Pierre knows the sound we want and he is one of the best.

Gigwise: Do friends, family or girlfriends travel when you are touring?

Finn:  No we only have the merchandise lady and Dave the tour manager.

Gigwise: Are you planning any European dates or dates in the States?

Finn & Ben:  We are doing some European dates in November.  We have had an underground hit in Greece so we plan on playing there.  February/March we are going to The States.  Later this year Rough Trade are hosting a festival in Kilburn.

Gigwise: If you had to choose a career outside music what would it be? 

Finn:  I think I would be an old style dancer.
Ben.  I would be a psychologist

Gigwise: What do you like to do in your ‘free time’?

Finn & Ben:  Just the usual really, listen to music, shopping and generally relaxing. 

Gigwise: How do you like to chill out after a show?

Finn:  I once went to a lake in Preston, which was very relaxing with a star filled sky; this is where I would like to be after every show.

Ben.  (He answers quickly without hesitation) Bed!