Blew the Veils
Blew the Veils is a musical and visual collaboration between Scottish artist Vivien McDermid and Icelandic singer-songwriter Benedikt H. Hermannsson.
Lampwork is the duo’s debut release. It’s a collection of warm art-pop with emotive melodies and surreal folk lyrics with an accompanying limited-edition book of artworks by Vivien.
Live / November 2023
17/11/23 Sharmanka Kinetic Theatre Glasgow G1 5HD / Purchase tickets online >
18/11/23 St Mark’s Unitarian Church Edinburgh EH1 2DP / Purchase tickets online >
This November, Blew the Veils will again let the album’s ten songs loose into the world.
For these latest live performances, Benedikt will be joined by Emily Scott (double bass & vocals), Owen Curtis Williams (drums), and L.T. Leif (guitar, keyboards & vocals).
Both evenings will also include a performance from Throat & Chest, an inter-continental noise/improvisation duo comprised of Benedikt H. Hermannsson & Peter Liversidge.
And the Edinburgh event will be a combined live lo-fi pop/art show with visuals from Vivien, where sound and vision collude in a kaleidoscopic fusion of colour.
“An ocean-spanning tender art-pop collaboration… The result is the hushed and beautiful album ‘Lampwork’”
Vivien McDermid is a painter and songwriter based in Edinburgh. Recent exhibitions include ‘Over Under Winter Summer’ at Whitespace Gallery, Edinburgh and the group show ‘Chorus’ at Arusha Gallery, Edinburgh.
“McDermid’s paintings are the physical manifestation of a curious mind. They are ethereal and truly captivating, transporting the viewer into a dark and playful world” Susie Brown, Founder of TRADE artists residency.
Based in Iceland, Benedikt H. Hermannsson’s band Benni Hemm Hemm has toured widely, written music for theatre plays and performed at art festivals and all kinds of happenings worldwide. The band have released ten albums (written and produced by Benedikt) to critical acclaim…
“Whispy, ruminative strums with brass, strings, and fiercely emotive rhythms.” Pitchfork
“Hearty brass sugared with glockenspiel and Hawaiian-whine guitar — that evoked both the ragged glories of Broken Social Scene and the sunshine prospect of Brian Wilson conducting a troupe of Salvation Army horns at a 1967 Smile session.” Rolling Stone Magazine
Live / November 2023
This November, Blew the Veils will again let the album’s ten songs loose into the world.
For these latest live performances, Benedikt will be joined by Emily Scott (double bass & vocals), Owen Curtis Williams (drums), and L.T. Leif (guitar, keyboards & vocals).
Both evenings will also include a performance from Throat & Chest, an inter-continental noise/improvisation duo comprised of Benedikt H. Hermannsson & Peter Liversidge.
And the Edinburgh event will be a combined live lo-fi pop/art show with visuals from Vivien, where sound and vision collude in a kaleidoscopic fusion of colour.
17/11/23 Sharmanka Kinetic Theatre Glasgow G1 5HD / Purchase tickets online >
18/11/23 St Mark’s Unitarian Church Edinburgh EH1 2DP / Purchase tickets online >
Back in September 2022, McDermid and Hermannsson let their debut album’s ten songs and accompanying imagery loose into the world by way of live lo-fi pop/art shows in Edinburgh and Glasgow, where sound and vision colluded in a kaleidoscopic fusion of colour.
Here are a few photographs from their performance at The Voodoo Rooms in Edinburgh…
