VÉRITÉ is the alt-pop starlet with a brooding edge. The singer’s catchy beats and dynamic vocals meet biting lyrics to form the kind of tunes that can only be received with obsession. There is a certain feeling of solidity in this combination— making VÉRITÉ and her project creative interlopers to the sometimes-hollow propensity of average electro-pop sound. She’s conscious of her movement as an artist and this self-awareness started even in the initial decision to begin the project. VÉRITÉ shared with us that the project was not a result of a positively sourced inspiration, but instead arose as a destruction of toxicity: “I had a lot of negativity in my life. The project came when I made a decision to cut it all out. Writing music for the project was the first time everything started to make sense. It was more so a wanting to push myself out of that negativity and wanting to start over.” This kind of thinking acknowledges the authority of the artist as an individual—VÉRITÉ herself proves that destruction is sometimes the most beautiful and beneficial form of creation.
Such an outlook acutely attuned to the realities of artistry came as no accident, either. VÉRITÉ said the process of developing her own creative perspective was “definitely by trial and error. As I was developing and figuring things out, I was ridiculously confused. I feel like I had to go down about eight wrong roads in order to finally find the right one. And it͛s funny because I’m still at such an early stage in my career, because it’s only been about two years since I started this project.” In thinking of her movement forward she continues, “My artistic vision is something that will be constantly developing and changing.” The best art avoids complacency at all costs and this being a concept the indie singer holds at the core of her personal process, she also shared that it creates an at times sporadic schedule for when inspiration will strike: “I am very skilled in the art of compartmentalization. I have very distinct sides. Even now the creative side of me feels so small because there are so many practical things that I have to do and always think about. Every once in awhile I’ll turn around and be like, ‘Alright, now I’m going to be creative.'”
Time is both the friend and enemy of creation, as VÉRITÉ points out, and every artist is guilty of craving it in surplus amounts to achieve a desired result; however, it can also become a crushing force to inhibit productivity. Though it has this power, VÉRITÉ believes a good artist can transcend all of it with the right focus. Speaking from her own experience and looking back on the production of her newly released EP, Living, she says, “I have the odd experience of never having the luxury of time to create. I think it’s more so a matter of finding something that’s yours and that you can put yourself behind 3000%. It doesn’t matter if it takes 20 minutes or 5 years to make. If people gravitate towards it and it resonates with them, then it’s doing its job.”
Living is an impressive and undeniable maturation of sound and we asked VÉRITÉ if she ever feels her efforts and accomplishments being diminished by the frenetic trend-based pace of electro pop and she admits, “Yes, and it’s totally frustrating. That’s why with this EP, I made a very intentional decision— not to move completely away from the genre, because at the heart of it I write alternative pop music that’s catchy and resonates with people but also has productive integrity and artistry. But I feel that it’s very common for people to follow trends and I wanted to be sure that I wasn’t moving in a direction that was just following a trend with Living.” Her intentionality proved to be worthwhile because this new body of work is sure to hold up under scrutiny and, again, it all points back to her profound self-awareness which also manifests in her choice to don a stage name like VÉRITÉ rather than going by her given name. She feels no drawbacks in this decision— rather, she says it’ the opposite: “It’s all benefit. For me, I needed a clean slate and it made me feel like I could build up the project exactly how I wanted to. It’s a good extension of myself— a more confident, badass extension of myself.” It’s this fearlessness to reshape and tear down what currently stands in light of the knowledge that it could be something better is precisely what gives this artist her edge. Such a perspective is unstoppable, gaining rapid inertia and promising a potential of an impression of juggernaut strength on alt-pop to come. Don’t take your eyes off of VÉRITÉ, because she won’t be down for the count any time soon.
Fall Tour Dates
With support from Marian Hill
Sep 9 Pawtucket, RI @ Met Cafe
Sep 10 Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
Sep 11 Charlottesville, VA @ Jefferson Theater
Sep 13 Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West
Sep 14 Orlando, FL @ The Social
Sep 16 Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
Sep 17 Austin, TX @ The Parish
Sep 18 Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
Sep 20 Phoenix, AZ @ The Crescent Ballroom
Sep 21 Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre
Sep 22 Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory
Sep 27 Portland, OR @ Wonderland Ballroom
Sep 28 Seattle, WA @ Showbox Theatre
Sep 30 Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
Oct 1 Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater
Oct 2 Boulder, CO @ Fox Theatre
Oct 4 St Louis, MO @ The Ready Room
Oct 5 Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall Ballroom
Oct 6 Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
Oct 9 Columbus, OH @ The A&R Music Bar
Oct 11 Boston, MA @ Royale Boston
Oct 12 New York, NY @ Webster Hall
Oct 14 Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer