RESPICE FINEM

Done. Done. Done.
Here's a little track by track run down for you.

THE LETTER
We've talked about this one before. It dances, it sings, it'll bring the house down i think.

THREE SISTERS
It's loud, it's scary, it's also covered in mandolins, mad baritone howls and a blistering B3.

SUN GANGS
Ghostly little number this - written as a kind of unwitting follow-up to Under the Folding Branches.

KILLED BY THE BOOM
A narrative concerning the death of a nameless vagabond with "The Dull Eyes Of A Steer And A Lion's Mane" set beneath a wall of guitars that sound like broken lightbulbs and a hammond being smashed to bits.

SIT DOWN BY THE FIRE
When it all goes wrong sometimes you have no choice but to just watch it all burn to the ground. That's the general idea anyway.
Big and quite, quite beautiful.

LITTLE ELEGY
Not sure if this will make it onto the album or not, it's only a minute long and kinda ties the room together nicely.

THE HOUSE SHE LIVED IN
Anyone that came to see us play last year may recognise this little number. The story of...well, you should decide that for yourselves. She ain't coming home though I don't think.

IT HITS DEEP
As mentioned before, the word 'Libidinous' immediately leaps to mind when attempting to describe this. Music to make love and possibly even build a small fort to.

DESTINED FOR GREAT THINGS
Quite a departure for us this one, it reminds me a little of My Bloody Valentine crossed with Noel Coward. Make of that what you will.

SCARECROW
Slow and very, very bare, probably the most naked my voice has ever sounded. It's sad, boy is it sad.

LARKSPUR
Those who came to our residency at The Enterprise earlier in the year will have had a sneak preview of this one.
Originally an hour long we managed to whittle it down to just under 9 minutes.
It's about writing, about giving yourself over to it completely and just going fucking barmy. Monolithic, a little scary and, we hope, very good fun indeed.

BEGIN AGAIN
What would a Veils record be without the obligatory reflective closer? Sounds like an anchorman realising he left the gas on.

And there it is.
We're off to America now, come say hi if you can.

Finn

IT'S FINN'S BIRTHDAY

Or, it was. 

I carried a large Red Velvet cake on foot through the midst of the Notting Hill Carnival to the studio. It wasn't as much of a disaster as I thought it might be, given the trepidation I felt when I looked down Ladbroke Grove and saw a wash of people and felt my vision blur from the bass....The only dodgy moment was when a drunk senior citizen tried halfheartedly to relieve me of it. His challenge was easily deflected and I carried on, only to stop and gawk at an entire bus full of bored looking policemen. I was gazing absentmindedly at the array of kevlar when I realised that the one sitting in the very back seat was staring right back. When he realised I'd seen him he started smiling and leering. I found this surprising and was a bit on the back foot as to how to deal with it. When one policeman out of a busload starts making eyes at you, is it safe to flip him the bird? Will he scream HALT, and send his mates out to arrest me, and, worst of all, confiscate my cake? 

I didn't know, and I let it go. But it was weirdly offputting. I guess I am a conservative after all. I'd expect that kind of behaviour from Firemen. But it would've been even weirder from an Ambulance driver. 

Anyway. Finn seemed happy with his birthday, Graham's had a haircut, and Dan still hasn't gotten over an incident on friday night involving a misunderstanding between him and Henning about whether the Sinai where Henning goes on holiday is the FAMOUS Sinai. It ended with Dan viciously whipping a couch with a sweater screaming 'IS IT WHERE THE TEN COMMANDMENTS...' and Henning saying calmly 'but I go to the peninsula..I never went to a mountain..' 

It is the same Sinai. But he goes to the peninsula, where the snorkeling is better. 

We're nearly finished, both in terms of time we have and tasks we have to do. It's a funny feeling. Relief and terror in equal measures. 

Here Comes The Sun

It's nearly finished; it has legs, elbows, little hands and a heart.

One week left. 

We've ditched a bunch of songs and some have been written in their place. A favorite is 'Destined For Great Things' which we are certain will live up to its name.

Ed has loaned us his ancient Hammond Organ which is possibly the greatest sounding instrument on earth. There is a video of him playing it on Three Sisters below.

God we're close.

God we're happy.

Edward Fear

James Duncan

...came in today and played shakers and wooden weiners on Killed By The Boom.

He's been sleeping on Finn's couch for the last little while.

He plays in some great kiwi bands that you should all check out in a BIG WAY.

Namely this one: Dimmer

And this one: SJD