Video: Finn Andrews, ‘One by the Venom’

Roy Jurgens on June 4th, 2019

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Oh beauty that is darkness, a darkness made even more beautiful when betrothed to gallows humor. Finn Andrews explores the happy black in depth in his schizophrenic new video for “One by the Venom.” The decidedly lo-budget piece follows Andrew’s morose lyrics playfully and artfully, tracking death by death with a barrage of edits recalling Alex Delarge being subjected to the “Ludovico Technique” in “A Clockwork Orange.”

The video is the second single from Andrews’ first solo project, “One Piece at a Time.” After nearly 20 years with his critically acclaimed band, the Veils, Andrews decided it was time for him to get personal. Heartbreak can be one hell of an artistic motivator, so Andrews left London and the Veils behind and returned to his home birthplace of New Zealand to bleed it all out. More intimate and sparse than anything he’s attempted before, Andrews has stripped away the heavy, guitar-based instrumentation he’s known for and let his voice be the centerpiece. These are boozy, weeping songs, beautifully orchestrated for strings, perfect for whatever shattering breakup you’re presently going through.

Signed at the age of 16, the son of Barry Andrews (XTC, Shriekback, Iggy Pop, David Bowie, Robert Fripp, Brian Eno) had much expected of him. Unfair comparisons like Nick Cave, David Bowie and Bruce Springsteen were thrown at his feet. While he never achieved the widespread commercial success predicted for him, Andrews and the Veils became respected indie icons, releasing five lauded albums while appearing in David Lynch’s reboot of “Twin Peaks,” as well as on soundtracks by auteurs Tim Burton and Paolo Sorrentino.

||| Watch: The video for “One by the Venom”