The Veils‘ Finn Andrews takes some time to answer some questions from Soundsphere about the new album, ‘Asphodels’, David Lynch and much more!
S] Hi Finn, how are you doing? Thanks for making the time to answer these!
A pleasure!
S] After David Lynch’s death, how do you reflect on your Twin Peaks cameo at this time?
I suppose I just feel very grateful to have been invited into his world for a while – it was such tremendous fun being directed by him, and just to get to float around in his orbit for a few days was hugely educational. Our bass player Soph and I watched all the first episodes of Twin Peaks together when we were first becoming friends in high school, so it made it even more surreal to be walking through into the television as it were.
S] How do you look back at ‘Total Depravity’ as a whole body of work now?
Yeah, I love some moments on that record – Axolotl, In the Nightfall, and Swimming with the Crocodiles feel like songs we’ll be playing for a long time. Getting to work with El-P on that record was just such a brilliant experience and he really brought something different out of us for that record.
S] How do you feel ‘Asphodels’ pushes you in new ways as an artist?
I don’t really push myself anywhere, it’s more just a process of refinement or perhaps even atonement for former sins. I just want to keep learning and getting better.
S] What would you say that you’ve learned about yourself from the beginning of your career in music (and The Runaway Found’), until now…how have you changed and developed?
I would say I’ve learned to worry less and hopefully to take myself a little less seriously. We were signed to Rough Trade when I was just 16 so I suffered from some pretty paralysing imposter syndrome in the early days. I feel at least partially in control of what I’m doing now, which is a significant improvement.
S] What experiences, people and places are inspiring you right now?
Right now, I’m just in the tour bubble with my dear friends, feeding off their talent night after night. It’s such a dream.
S] O Fortune Teller is a stunning piece of work – can you talk me through your experiences writing that one?
Thanks, yeah I’m really pleased with that one too. I did a solo tour of America last year and played it night after night on my own on the piano which really got it into shape. I think the song is just trying to process the overwhelmingly awful things that have been happening in the world in the last few years. War and genocide and lies, lies, lies. I didn’t know what else to do but write a song, which is so incredibly futile really. But it’s all I know how to do.
S] As someone with streams, soundtracks and more to their name, do you pay much attention to success and legacy as an artist, if so, what do those terms mean to you?
I couldn’t care less about any of that, honestly. I feel it can’t be a coincidence that my favorite song I’ve ever written is officially our least streamed song on Spotify. I think I love it more because of that.
S] You are about to embark on a mammoth UK and EU tour – how are you feeling in advance of that?
I feel really elated to be out here doing this again. It’s such a sincere joy to watch this album come to life in front of people after so much loving preparation. After all these years I still love it to bits.
