Here's Five: The Veils

Having been based in London for several years now, The Veils have done an excellent job of keeping a foot on each side of the globe. Their brilliant EL-P produced fifth album Total Depravity was met with as much praise (if not more) on these shores as it was in Europe. So with the group lurching towards New Zealand for their first home turf tour since the album's release, we asked helmsman Finn Andrews to share five songs that influenced the writing and recording of Total Depravity...

1. Madvillain - 'Figaro'
Some fantastic lines in this ("Told ya on some get rich shit, as he gets older he gets colder than a witch tit") and that drum loop is a thing of beauty. Working with El-P introduced us to a very different palate of sound and Madvillain was someone we discussed a great deal.

2. Gene Vincent - 'Be-Bop-A-Lula'
Gene Vincent is so weird. Watch this video, he's out of his mind on uppers wearing a leather suit and singing what is ostensibly a highly sexualised nursery rhyme. There's an unhinged quality to his voice that I'm surprised they even allowed on the radio in the 1950's. His influence can really be heard on the vocal in 'Axolotl' I think.

3. Liars - 'Brats'
We play this song in the tour van a lot and I've been to see them live a few times now. Soph is a massive fan too. They remind me of many late nights in east London, but in a good way.

4. Suicide - 'Rain of Ruin'
I mean Suicide are a bit of a given I suppose, but this song isn't mentioned all that often. Henry Rollins said recently "Suicide suffered so that modern bands can do whatever they want." Frenzied static, howling vocals, there is much to love here.

5. Peter Gabriel - 'Mercy Street'
This songs takes me places, I can't tell you how many times I've listened to it over the past year. The line "Let's take the boat out, wait until darkness" has haunted me for some reason. I love the 80s shine to the production, it lands just on the right side of cheesy for me. 80s Serial Killer Music should really be a genre unto itself.

UnderTheRadar Proudly Presents...

Saturday 28th January, Leigh Sawmill, Leigh w/ Mermiden (SOLD OUT)
Monday 30th January, Albert Park Precinct, Laneway Festival, Auckland
Tuesday 31st January, The Cabana, Napier w/ Queens Of Beauty School
Wednesday 1st February, San Fran, Wellington w/ Mermaidens 
Tuesday 2nd February, Blue Smoke, Christchurch w/ Delaney Davidson 
Friday 3rd February, Blue Smoke, Christchurch w/ Delaney Davidson (SOLD OUT)
Saturday 4th February, Refuel, Dunedin w/ The Chills
Sunday 5th February, The Sherwood, Queenstown w/ Ben Salter

Tickets available HERE at UTR