What is your name?
Verity White
What is your genre of music?
I write rock/alternative music, with a bit of synth and occasionally some acoustic songs too… its kinda hard to slot it into one genre!
Give us a little bio about you.
I started singing professionally about 8 years ago, in function bands and theatre shows, however only released my first EP last year when I felt the music I was writing was worth sharing! I’ve always been into music though, my parents had a cover band when I was little and I used to sneak down the stairs to listen to them rehearse. I always knew it was what I wanted to do, but I took a bit of a long time and weird route to get there including loads of strange jobs and half a degree in Fine Art (don’t ask!) I’ve went on tour as backing vocalist with the prog-rock stalwarts Pendragon last year which really cemented my passion for the industry, and pushed me to my first release, and I still work with them now – they’re so fun! I’ve also got an award for opera singing (random!) and performed the vocals on the soundtrack to the award-winning Robin of Sherwood reboot Knights of the Apocolypse. Last year was pretty busy!
What made you go in to music?
It’s always been a massive part of who I am. I’ve always LOVED singing, there kinda wasn’t any other path for me, despite trying out a load of different things! It makes me the happiest I can be.
Are you a signed?
Nope, indie and proud!
You work with the Lime Jam PR, how did that come about?
They approached me after they heard my single, Too Much, we had a call and talked over the possibilities and went from there. They’ve only been supporting me with PR for just over a month, I’m hoping we can get some good stuff done together – it’s impossible to do everything on your own!
You have a new double a sided single out ‘Too Much/Look Inside’ , tell us more about each track.
Too Much is a classic blues-rock tune, its based on the true story of how I met my now fiancé (and also the instrumentalist in, and producer of, my music!) in a rock club in the town we live in. I like to think of it as a classic girl meets boy, girl seduces boy kinda tune…
Look Inside has a bit of a darker twist to it, it’s about the anxiety behind people only judging you on what they see and not what’s inside you. There are plenty of people in the industry who work that way and it’s tiring to deal with.
Tell us more about the writing process.
I work with my fiancé, Alex, as he’s a much better instrumentalist than me (I play guitar, badly) and an amazing producer. He writes the basic structure (guitars and drums initially) and then I get it to flesh out into whatever it grows into. I generally spend ages humming along and making weird noises until I find words that fit the feeling of the music, and then delve into my emotions and experiences to find the lyrics to enable me to tell a story.
Tell us more about the recording process.
Once we’ve got the lyrics and melody done, I head to the studio to record, then re-listen and write the harmonies, and go record those. Alex and I talk about effects and incidental parts, like synth sounds or strings, and add these in after the vocals are there to emphasize the emotion of the song. He then does magical mixing and mastering and I get the final version for checking and release!
Will we see an EP or album? if so what can you tell us?
I’ve just released an acoustic EP called Stripped Bare which is also on all download and streaming sites, and am working on a full length rock album for early Autumn. I’ve already got two tracks written for it I am SO pleased with them. Every track I do is better than the one before it, and I’m learning loads each time.
Do you have any gigs or tours coming up?
I have a few gigs, but I’m more focused on getting the album done at the moment. My main focus for gigging is to get people interested in the music (and me, I guess?!) online first and then hit the stages. I LOVE performing, but I prefer it when there’s an audience 😉 … next year I’m hoping that with the album under my belt and two EP’s as well I’ll be able to hit some festival stages!
I’ve been using Concert Window to gig for fans and showcase my new music too – it’s a great resource to gig and get viewers from anywhere in the world all at the same time!
Who are your influences?
Thats a tough one as I love so many different types of music! For a short (ish) list I’ll go with : Fleetwood Mac, Nine Inch Nails, Lamb, Royal Blood, Alanis Morissette, Veruca Salt and Aretha Franklin… so, quite a combination!
How do you get inspiration to write songs?
It all comes from within me, my experiences in life – everything I write about I have been through personally. Which often makes the songwriting process pretty cathartic!
Where do you see yourself now in 5 Years?
Hopefully making a good living off of my music, writing more, touring more, and having a really wonderful time!
What was the song you listened to most that influenced you to go more in to the music scene?
I can’t choose one song, but when I was younger I listened to Jagged Little Pill (Alanis Morissette) and The Best of Aretha Franklin over and over and over again. Their emotional lyrics and singing inspired me so much.
What’s the best advice you have ever been given?
Be yourself, everyone else is already taken – its an Oscar Wilde quote I believe and my Dad gave it to me engraved on a bangle a few years ago. It’s become my mantra.
What advice would you give to aspiring musicians not about the industry but just as an artist?
As above really – be you, don’t be what you think other people want you to be.
Do you have social media accounts so your fans can follow you?
Yes indeed! I’m on twitter as @veebear (www.twitter.com/veebear), instagram as @original_verity (www.instagram.com/original_verity) and Facebook as Verity White (www.facebook.com/veritywhite)
I’m really active on my patreon page as I’m using that amazing resource to fund my album (www.patreon.com/veritywhite ) – I post loads of behind the scenes stuff and unpublished music there too, so please check it out!
I also have a website www.veritywhite.com … so I’m basically everywhere.
I also just wanted to say thanks for the interview guys, it’s been a real pleasure!
