By Charlie Matthews
I don’t really need to reach out to bands anymore for interviews. The blog is popular enough that the “in box” normally has a Band request, or two, on any given day. But, over the past month or so, Verity White has been popping up in my social media feeds. I was starting to get used to seeing her pictures and finally decided to go check out some of her music and, wow, I was not let down. She can sing, and her band is on point.
Verity just released an EP, Stripped Bare, and has an album coming out in September. She is definitely busy! And, although her EP is a bit on the softer side of pop-rock, the new album is going to showcase a more rock-n-roll version of Verity White. If the two singles she pre-released in the February are any indicator, the new album is going to be very cool!
Verity White was kind of hard for me to really nail down because there really isn’t a whole band here. She is the band, and Alex White is the producer and a multi-instrumentalist. There isn’t really a full time band behind her yet, but if her schedule is any indication….that is going to have to change. If you are in or near Cheltenham, UK, do yourself a favor and go check her out!
Here is Verity White’s take on our not-so-standard interview:
How do you describe your music to people?
It’s always hard to describe your own much, but I THINK it sounds kinda like Stevie Nicks started working with Foo Fighters and Royal Blood… I’m open to other suggestions though!
Tell us about your local music scene.
The music scene in Cheltenham isn’t great as it’s a small town. To get to a good scene you need to travel to Bristol really, or further afield to London or Brighton. Generally there are a lot of places asking for covers bands and not for indie music, and if they do accept indie music, they usually want singer-songwriter background noise kinda stuff rather than a bouncy rock show! However, we do have a few good local festivals that can help boost your fan base like 2000 Trees and Wychwood, and the few rock venues in the town put on some good all day events.
What’s the immediate future look like for your band? Tours, festivals, working with other bands, etc.
I’ve got an album in the works which should be out in September, and I’m working on dates with Tiger Lilly and Izzy Finn as we meet through this great networking event on twitter called #musichourUK. I actually ended up being the face/voice of their vlog series and have met some amazing people through that. Once my album is out, the plan is to work on more festivals and tour dates for 2018, so we can really get this thing off the ground! For now, though, I’m content working on the social media side of things and getting my name out there to all who will listen! I think that social media marketing for music has never been more important, and you’re taken much more seriously as an artist if you can show that you already have fans and engagement. Sites like Concert Window really help with this too, as you can gig online to anyone anywhere who wants to tune in, I’m planning on using that a lot more in the coming months, too, so keep an eye on my twitter! Excitedly I’ve been asked to appear on the Break the Business podcast this month, so we have an interview scheduled for that, and I’m really looking forward to talking with them about the new music industry and all the social media stuff I’ve been doing! Keep an eye out for that one!
What's your outlook on the record industry today?
The record industry needs to really turn itself on this head to get anywhere in today’s market. Why would an indie musician sign a deal for distribution when you can do this all so easily yourself? Why would they sign a deal for production when there are so many people who run home studios that are really, genuinely amazing at what they do? I think that unless you’re signing to a major label who are going to put a tonne of money behind you into PR and marketing, there’s kinda not a lot of point to it. You’re better off focusing on learning how to do things yourself, and keeping control of what you do, without getting into weird contracts that put you in debt! … and if you do have a bit of money, spend it on a good PR firm who can help push you to the right places.
What three bands are you listening to right now? Royal Blood - their latest album is amazing and I’m lucky to have tickets to see them in the Winter. What those guys do with just bass and drums in insane! I’m also I really loving a bit of old school Portishead right now, that album Dummy is a classic and a real summer staple for me. Finally, and always, Nine Inch Nails - Trent Reznor is a writing and production genius.
What is that one piece of equipment you can't live without?
I recently got some shure in-ear monitors and they are amazing. Totally save your voice from the ravages of trying to sing over a rock band so you can hear yourself through foldbacks. I love them.
Catch Verity White at these next few shows:
AUG 9th - Pitcher and Piano, Brighton
SEPT 7th - Hard Rock Cafe, London
SEP 12th - Hailsham FM Live Lounge (also broadcast live)
Follow Verity here:
