The Veils, that's still singer/guitarist Finn Andrews's band. They nestled effortlessly between Nick Cave and the best of David Eugene Edwards with their second album ‘Nux Vomica’ (2006). ‘Sun Gangs’ is the title of the new album, to be released on April 6, and according to Finn it's ‘a very modern mixture of prayers, love letters and personal record keeping.’ Rightly so, as together with his band Andrews knows how to bring his neurotic world to life perfectly. The single ‘Sit Down By The Fire’ is produced by Suede’s Bernard Butler while the rest of the album was produced by Graham Sutton (Jarvis Cocker, British Sea Power) and has received fear, loneliness and wild romance as a guideline. An album that optimally displays The Veils potential to the fullest.

The Veils' debut 'The Runaway Found' was heaped with superlatives: 'To be filed alongside Coldplay, Starsailor and Snow Patrol' (No Ripcord) or : 'What elevates The Veils above pleasant distraction... is (Andrews') extraordinary, chameleon-like voice'. (Q) Referring to their second album ‘Nux Vomica’, Soundslike.be wrote of: ‘… one of the most passionate records of recent time.’ They really scored a radio-hit in Belgium with with their single 'Lavinia'. And yes, Finn is the son of Barry Andrews (XTC and Schriekback).

American songsmith Richard Swift could still charm us just recently at the SXSW showcase festival in Austin. We wrote, at the time: ‘The 70's pop sound drenched in swinging New Orleans style is borne by the musical virtuosity of Swift and band’. On April 7 his new album ‘The Atlantic Ocean’ will be released on the Secretly Canadian label, but it was already clear that Swift would someday be successful on predecessor ‘Dressed Up For The Letdown’. The collective British music press wrote of that album: ‘Prepare to lose your heart to him’ (8/10 NME); ‘Swifts music is timeless … a magical sound’ (4/5 Q); ‘Dressed Up For The Letdown is vividly of-the-moment, rich in melody and wry optimism’ (4/5 Mojo); ‘In his own way Swift is as vivid a newcomer as Joanna Newsom or early Rufus Wainwright’ (4/5 Uncut). His double debut ‘The Novelist/Walking Without Effort’ still lies at the top of our CD drawer after all those years too, and so we're very much looking forward to his new work. You won't want to miss this.

THE VEILS ‘Lavinia’

RICHARD SWIFT ‘Lady Luck’