The Veils’ Finn Andrews on Seychelles tortoises and memories from a life in travel

Finn Andrews longs for the caravan holidays of his UK childhood, and would kill for another slice of cake. Photo / Supplied

A LIFE IN TRAVEL . . . FINN ANDREWS, LEAD SINGER OF THE VEILS

What are your strongest memories from the first overseas trip you ever took?

We lived in London when I was young, and the first time I went overseas was to Paris when my dad was playing a gig there. I remember he took me to a patisserie one morning and got me a slice of cake, but I have no memory of what sort of cake it was, I just remember it being the best thing I’d ever eaten in my young life. I would kill to know what kind of cake that was.

What was a standard family holiday like when growing up?

We didn’t really “do” holidays in my family. I was raised mostly by my mother who was raising three kids on her own and so money was always tight. My grandparents used to take me on caravan holidays to a little seaside town in the UK called Weymouth, which I loved very much.

Who has most inspired your travels?

Oh man, I don’t know... I’m really not very well-travelled, I just go and play shows in the towns that people invite me to.

What is the greatest trip you’ve ever been on?

A friend of mine became a diplomat in Seychelles a while back and he invited me over to stay with him. That is such a beautiful place with the biggest goddamn tortoises I have ever seen.

And the worst?

I don’t know if I’ve ever had a bad trip.

What’s your approach to packing for a big trip?

Hastily and recklessly.

What is the destination that most surprised you – good or bad – and why?

I went to Byron Bay for a dear friend’s wedding immediately before the pandemic hit and I really wasn’t sure what to expect there. I’d heard it had been overrun with influencers and trust-fund kids - but I didn’t find that that detracted from the beauty of the place. Australia is so vibrant and bio-diverse! I love it.

Where was your most memorable sunrise/sunset?

Oh they’re all good, surely.

What’s the first thing you do when you get home from a long trip?

Mince around feeling depressed, wash my pants, order takeaways. Something like that.

What do you miss most about home when you travel?

Well I just had a baby, so now I don’t really want to travel anywhere on my own again. This upcoming New Zealand tour is going to be a real challenge.

Where is the one destination you must see in your lifetime, and why?

I hope that I don’t die before I get to see Mexico City. We’ve been told for years that the band has quite a following there, but the stars have never sufficiently aligned to get us over there.

What’s your favourite thing about travel?

I mean, novelty is always fun isn’t it? I don’t really like cars or planes - I’m a trains guy. Better for the planet and you get to see so much more of the place you’re in. I’ve done a few European tours entirely by train and it was just tremendous fun.

The Veils’ new album ...And Out of the Void Came Love is released on March 3