#i also might do a classical instrument alt bc this was fun!!!

[pleucas]

colored some band skks from the gram 👍👍👍

[sirensunrise]

Thank you for responding to my ask with such depth. Cannot believe I didn’t consider changkyun and taemin. Ludacris oversight.

Would love to hear about what genre you see idols slotting themselves into with producing.

Idk if you like much non-kpop music but even trying to think of western bands/groups idols would fit into is kinda fun. Like yuta in 5sos, dawn in 1975 (still workshopping that), soyeon in paramore… I know that is an entirely different tangent to the original ask and what you said your tangent was.

First off, I LOVE music outside of kpop. I’ve grown up surrounded by mostly alt music (punk, rock, indie) (and also a lot classical) but branched into emo and then some pop, rap, and just all music like i just Love music so much.

Ok so also, to preface this, I just came back from a hockey game where I had one more drink than i normally have (they also were overpouring... like a Lot these things were essentially doubles lmao) so im a lil tipsy so whoops. 

(as i’m writing this i am having more drinks this is fun)

Also bc I’m drunk (I’m writing this while halfway thru answering sorry) I’m gonna continue my og train of thought. Apologies. I will reblog this when I’m sober perhaps and actually do the secondary tangent. Also This isn’t necessarily what the idols would choose, but its what i see them doing if they were in that like alt universe discussed before. Where they are all rock/rock adjacent artists. Also might not include all of them. Literally if you want anything specific. Ask. I will answer. I love being asked shit like this. 

What originally had started this was me thinking about yuta and taem and how yuta especially gave me hyde vibes. Which like duh, that’s his fuckin dad right there. They literally did a drunk insta live together and it gave me my whole life. Hyde was Super androgynous in the 80s and 90s which is huge taem vibes, also the cross mic stand and some christian imagery idk. it gives. plus hyde has a very distinct voice which both taem and yuta have. Yuta has such a japanese voice. idk how else to put it. its just So japanese rock. Yuta is a man built for that shit. lowkey im sorry but 5sos is pussy shit compared to what i see for my boy yuta. (who has such impeccable music taste like. yuta, hmu i know some jp, all my host sisters are from osaka, i love one ok rock. i like that you’re a perv) Also throwing in some X Japan style for taem just bc he would go to that extreme. If he did rock of course. idk the man is an enigma. 

JK, im so sorry baby girl you give me mgk vibes every now and then. If not solo shit he would be in a band like as a drummer or bassist with amazing back up vocals/secondary lead. Kinda like how pete wentz operated but like. More. Jk would be a sleeper hit. I don’t think he’d be lead singer if in a band. But he’d do some fuckboy shit if he were solo. Probably do really intricate shit tho if he played an instrument. The boy likes muse, go watch him do that baseline and tell me otherwise. I DARE YOU. 

ok the next person i can immediately peg (ha) is jjong. that man gives me classique warped tour vibes. I’m talking early 00s rock. Taking Back Sunday, Thursday. That vibe. Not screamo. Not metal. but not quite emo. More life than brand new. Solid like young people rock. lead guitarist. obviously. backup/secondary vocal. maybe even lead. That era. (i hope yk what im talking about lmao. rock is my shit. I just saw taking back sunday open for mcr in like nov and ive seen geoff from thursday open for frank iero (quick sidebar thats fun that they both were with mcr/mcr members ha) but yeah im getting Specific. and it’s not a lot of current shit. we goin Back a bit,)

Hongjoong is obviously muse/linkin park. the theatrics of muse. the intricacies. the showmanship. That man is Built for it. I saw muse a few years ago and they had a blimp flying over the audience. you know the next time i saw smthn like that? ateez’s rhythm ta performance on kingdom. Coincidence? yeah. but it MEANS something to me. muse is in his VEINS. BUT the linkin park comes in w the like kinda rap. like linkin park had some kinda rap. joong would prob do real rap. literally just his solo lil cover songs like its all there babey. ateez is essentially already what he would do on his own bc he is so involved in the creative process but idk, the muse vibes exist. a cool hybrid between the two. 

The other ones didn’t get like fleshed out immediately and my brain is mushyymushy rn like whoooo im more drunk than i thought this is pure stream of consciousness rn so i couldnt truly tell you about the rest. most of them didnt have obvious rock counterparts i suppose. idols are lowkey weaksauce most of the time. like punk to me is dead kennedys that type of shit. they type where u tell the govt to fucking shove it and call reagan hitler and scream and bash shit. idols, by nature, don’t get to do that. and the type of people who become idols are probably not the type to do that. except hongjoong. hongjoong and suga are like the most outspoken mfs about that. i respect them so much. they pussy poppin on that punk attitude in an industry that expects perfection and obedience. they get their dicks sucked for that one fr.

[onestowatch]

Existentialism, Creative Independence, & Her Debut Full-Length: A Q&A With VÉRITÉ

An existential crisis is defined as, “a moment at which an individual questions the very foundations of their life: whether this life has any meaning, purpose, or value”--it is also the basis by which rising New York City-based songstress VÉRITÉ constructed her already highly-acclaimed debut album, Somewhere In Between. 

Released on June 23 via Kobalt Music Recordings, the 13-song collection is a raw examination of the universal uncertainties associated with identity, love, and finding purpose in life--what she describes as “somewhere in between living and dying.” Yet, don’t let that fool you into thinking that the album is not meant to be enjoyed--sonically, VÉRITÉ single-handedly radiates melodic left-field pop and rhythmic undertones that keep us singing along from start to finish. It’s no wonder that the young artist has accumulated over 100 million Spotify streams to date and is set to embark on a headline tour this fall. 

Listen to the Somewhere In Between album in full, and then get to know the prolific writer behind it in our Q&A below.  

OTW: So tell us about how you originally got into music.

VÉRITÉ: I’ve been playing music for for a very long time. I started playing classical piano when I was six or seven, and then I started playing in bands when I was like 13, and I was in an all-girl punk cover band. We were not good [laughs]. I started writing when I was 16 so I had an overly-ambitious indie folk rock band, and then I started this project when I was around 21, 22.

OTW: Got it, and would you say you’ve reached the truest form of yourself?

VÉRITÉ: Yeah, it just felt right, and it hasn’t stopped since. 

OTW: And I understand you were independent for like the longest time, if not still?

VÉRITÉ: Yeah, I still technically am. Kobalt is an amazing strategic partner-- they are handling all of the distribution in the U.S. and internationally, and so I’m really lucky to have them come on.

OTW: Why did you chose to remain independent otherwise?

VÉRITÉ: Because I want to be in control of when I release music and what that music is. I think I just saw a trend around me of people signing away their ownership at a really early stage and then losing momentum at a point when something didn’t go as planned and the label pulls the plug or takes a step back. I just always wanted to have this forward momentum, and this has kind of allowed for me to keep that going.

OTW: So do you plan to remain independent moving forward?

VÉRITÉ: Yeah, I believe so. I mean I don’t wanna limit myself, but I like where I am at right now; it’s a good place to be.

OTW: Any tips for artists who are on a similar path?

VÉRITÉ: Yeah, get a job.

As depressing as that sounds, get a job and fund it yourself--you can do it. It’s not going to be fun, you won’t sleep, but ultimately it’ll take a very small investment from yourself to get something started. 

OTW: Makes sense. So you’ve released a few EP’s out before the Somewhere in Between album. How would you say your music has evolved from The Echo to Sentiment to Living, to now?

VÉRITÉ: I feel like the themes of the EPs are all very similar--they’re all this hyper-analyzation of my surroundings and me having an existential crisis, but I think there’s a definite progression sonically. The first EP was definitely this toe-in-the-water experimentation of, “What do I want to sound like?” and then I think Sentiment was like, “Okay, I can do this,” and branching out, and with the last EP, there was more of a honing in and confident approach to finishing the songs. It was me taking control of how I wanted things to be placed, and now having all those under my belt, I’ve just learned a lot about myself and about production and composition. 

So this album I is most straightforward representation of like how I want to be seen and how I want to sound like.

OTW: And what is that?

VÉRITÉ: I just wanted it to be a statement piece--I didn’t want to be shy, I didn’t want it to be drenched in reverb or hazy in any way. I wanted my vocal to be upfront, the lyrics to be upfront; it’s a lot of heavy percussion, it’s a lot of in-your-face sub-bass. I’ll probably give it a month, and then he next album will be hopefully better because I just want to keep learning for myself.

OTW: Cool, and what’s the story behind the title, Somewhere in Between?

VÉRITÉ: Well, it comes from the title track “Somewhere In Between,” and the first lyric is, “Somewhere between living and dying.” So it’s very broad in a way, but everything is about existence and the human condition and analyzing “why we are here?” and “what do relationships mean?” and “how do I interact?” and “how do I exist?” So yeah, the album exists in that broad space.

OTW: And I understand you worked with a bunch of awesome producers on this one?

VÉRITÉ: I’ve definitely worked with a lot of producers, but then narrowed it to three producers who I definitely trust and worked with on the last EP. So the writing process was really scattered, delegating responsibilities and timelines and getting everyone in line with the vision.

OTW: So you essentially A&R’d your entire album?

VÉRITÉ: Yeah, which was much more of an undertaking than I realized it would be when I started, but I’m really happy that I did. I think that is another area that I’m much more confident in my ability to manage people and get them to see what the greater vision is and then give them precise instructions on how to get there. So I think everybody that worked on the album feels good about what they contributed, but it’s still cohesive.

OTW: Do you have a favorite lyric from the album?

VÉRITÉ: It might be, “somewhere between living and dying.” I also like the first lyrics of a song called “Better.” I just like the first two verses--start like “fixed and false” and then “tried and true.” I just like the alliteration.

OTW: I love “Phase Me Out” too. What would be your top relationship advice for someone in that situation?

VÉRITÉ: I think for me,  all the relationship-sounding songs on the album are me basically taking a step back, being like, “I don’t need anyone.” I think my relationship advice to anybody would be to get to a place where you don’t need anyone, and then figure out how to coexist with people, which I’m currently trying to do. So maybe the second album is like, “How do I, I don’t know, talk to people?” [laughs] 

I think this album is very much figuring out how to not need people, in a positive way, for my self-worth.

OTW: What would you say makes you different from other singers in this alt-pop space?

VÉRITÉ: I feel like the alt-pop space is so oversaturated--I’m surprised that I found a little lane for myself. I don’t consciously find the differences--I just made a decision to be super upfront and involved and candid. I try and translate that to the music as well, and so I feel lucky that it has resonated with people in the way that it has, and so I’m going to continue doing that. Also, I play live, you know, I play instruments, I am involved in the writing, I’m involved in the production, and so I feel like being that creative force within the project helps.

OTW: What is your live step up like? Do you have a band?

VÉRITÉ: Yeah, I have a band--we have like drums, bass, and I have a little synth keyboard with little vocal processing. I like to be busy because I don’t dance, so I have to fill my time somehow onstage.

OTW: What were your favorite moments with the Betty Who tour?

VÉRITÉ: The Betty Who tour was great--her and her crew were so good to work with. I think my favorite moments are always the moments that no one sees...we all went a little crazy in a gas station right outside of Seattle and definitely started dancing. The store clerk just looked at us like we were on meth. 

OTW: [Laughs] So what are your plans now that the album’s out?

VÉRITÉ: Touring and more touring. My goal with the album is to push it out as far out as possible and so whatever needs to get done, I will do.

OTW: Last question: who are your top Ones To Watch artists right now?

VÉRITÉ: Oh goodness. I feel like I just want to say Anderson .Paak, but he’s just so established. You guys just actually posted about Brika--II think she’s dope. And the girl SUMif who opened for me in San Francisco is also dope.

VÉRITÉ North American Headline Tour Dates:

August 23        Philadelphia, PA @ Boot & Saddle

August 24        Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall

August 25        Montreal, QC @ Petit Campus

August 26        Toronto, ON @ Longboat Hall

August 28        Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall

August 29        Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry

September 1   Seattle, WA @ Barboza

September 2   Vancouver, BC @ The Cobalt

September 3   Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge

September 5   San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall

September 7   Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour

September 9   San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar

September 10  Dana Point, CA @ Ohana Music and Arts Festival

September 12  Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar

September 15  Austin, TX @ Stubb's Jr.

September 16  Dallas, TX @ Three Links

September 17  Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall (Upstairs)

September 19  Atlanta, GA @ Vinyl

September 20  Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506

September 21  Washington, DC @ Rock & Roll Hotel

September 22  Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

FOLLOW VÉRITÉ:

http://veriteofficial.com/

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https://twitter.com/verite