Sun Gangs is the third album by The Veils, released on April 6 2009. Finn Andrews has described it as "a very modern mixture of prayers, love letters and personal record keeping". Sun Gangs was produced by Graham Sutton, with the exception of the opening track "Sit Down by the Fire", produced by Bernard Butler. No official singles were released to promote the album though 1-track promos of "Three Sisters" and "The Letter" were sent out to radio stations in late February, 2009.

Personnel

*Finn Andrews - vocals, guitar, piano

*Sophia Burn - bass

*Henning Dietz - drums, percussion

*Dan Raishbrook - guitar, screeches, drone

*Basia Bulat - backing vocals on "Scarecrow" and "The House She Lived in"

*Edward Harcourt - hammond on "Three Sisters", "It Hits Deep" and "Killed by the Boom"

*Catherine A.D. - backing vocals on "Sit Down by the Fire"

*James Duncan - scattered ohms

*Dina Beamish - cello

*Kristen Kilingel - viola

*Brian Wright - violin

*Margot Chassagne - violin

Category:2009 albums

Category:Rough Trade Records albums

it:Sun Gangs

Artist/Band Information

The Veils are a London based Indie/Alternative rock band fronted by lead singer and songwriter Finn Andrews.

History

Early years, The Runaway Found and split (2001–2004)

Finn Andrews, son of XTC/Shriekback keyboardist Barry Andrews, spent his teens playing in bands in Auckland, New Zealand. When he was 17 a set of demos sent to record companies in London created a stir and led to invitations to come to London and make a record.

The Veils were signed to Blanco Y Negro, an indie/major hybrid imprint led by Rough Trade's boss Geoff Travis but funded by Warner Music. On August 19 2002 the band released a promo only single "Death & Co.", while a proper commercial single release came three months later, on November 18, for "More Heat Than Light" followed by "The Leavers Dance" (February 24 2003), which was distributed exclusively at gigs..

By then increasing contractual disparities and artistic differences between the head of Warner and Geoff Travis delayed plans for a debut album. The Blanco Y Negro label was eventually disbanded and the dispute turned into a court battle with The Veils eventually regaining ownership of their master recordings from Warner Music.

By mid-2003 Geoff Travis had signed them to Rough Trade Records.

The Veils recorded four more songs with producer Bernard Butler (ex Suede guitarist), and the band finally released its first Rough Trade single, "Guiding Light" (July 28 2003), though the long awaited debut LP was released only as a promo in Spain and the U.K. that November. Single releases of "Lavinia" (November 24 2003) and "The Wild Son" (January 26 2004) led to The Runaway Found finally hitting the shelves on February 16 2004. Rapturously received by the critics the album was a collection of songs recorded over four years with three different producers, and by the time of its release Andrews felt unhappy with the direction the band had taken and, allegedly following altercations between him and other members, The Veils first incarnation split mid-2004 .

New line-up and Nux Vomica (2005–2006)

Andrews left the UK early 2005 and embarked on a solo tour of America and Japan, eventually returning home to New Zealand where he found a new direction for the band. He spent the summer there rehearsing with high-school friends Liam Gerrard (keyboards) and Sophia Burn (bass), soon amassing an album's worth of material. When the trio returned to London they were joined by Dan Raishbrook (guitar) and Henning Dietz (drums), who completed the new line-up.

They began recording sessions with producer Nick Launay in Los Angeles in early 2006.

The resulting album 'Nux Vomica' had a darker, far heavier and more complex sound, augmented by string arrangements by ex Lounge Lizard Jane Scarpantoni, but also a newly found, highly animalistic energy . Two singles were released from the album: "Advice for Young Mothers to Be" (September 4 2006) and "One Night on Earth" (April 15 2007). Nux Vomica featured on 16 English and American critics' best of the year lists in 2006 .

Life "on the road" and Sun Gangs (2007–2009)

In the 16 months following the release of Nux Vomica The Veils played over 200 shows across 15 countries and during the U.S. leg of the tour it was announced that keyboardist Liam Gerrard would leave the band to return home to New Zealand due to personal reasons . The Veils carried on as a four piece and, whilst living out of a classic car garage in Oklahoma City, started recording new demos between playing shows on the east and west coasts of the America. By mid-2008 they were back to London to begin work on their third album with producer Graham Sutton. The recording sessions at West Point Studios lasted only three weeks and at the end of the summer the album was done and ready to be mixed. In March 2009 they began touring the new songs in Europe and America with temporary new drummer Raife Burchell, after Henning Dietz' defection. Sun Gangs was released on April 6 2009 and was featured in many websites top albums of 2009.

Discography

Studio albums

Singles

Music videos

References