Happy Monday, readers!
Meet our new Music Monday artist this week, Veridia.
Veridia is a unique fusion of alternative-rock with electronic elements, wrapped around the evocative vocals and presence of front woman, Deena Jakoub. Of Egyptian descent, Deena’s look and voice, when mixed with the electronic/rock soundscape provided by co-founder and guitar player, Brandon Brown, drummer Kyle Levy and guitarist Trevor Hinesley, are capturing fans at every show. Veridia recently released their second EP Pretty Lies, which entered the iTunes chart in the Top 10 on September 25th. They also just wrapped their first-ever nationwide headlining club tour with former Emblem3 member Drew Chadwick. The band is set to play the VooDoo Festival this Halloween and are slated to perform live with Evanesance this November in California.
CelebSecrets4U caught up with lead singer Deena Jakoub recently to talk all things music! In our interview, the band’s front woman talked about the inspiration behing Pretty Lies EP, how the band’s music has grown since their first record, and what it was like embarking on her first headlining club tour. She even reveals a super funny secret about her self that no one knew until now — make sure to read the full Q&A below!
For more information on Veridia, visit their official website at www.veridiamusic.com.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZdZJ5mMhUw
CS4U: You recently released your second EP “Pretty Lies.” Can you tell us about the inspiration behind it?
Deena Jakoub: “I think we just kind of wanted to take a stand and say that we’re happy to be who we were created to be instead of living up to someone else’s expectations of what perfection really is and just kind of encourage listeners to love themselves, including their flaws.”
CS4U: Can you tell us about the decision behind the cover art for your single “Pretty Lies?”
Deena Jakoub: “As far as the cover art, we kind of just decided to go with zipper sealed lips. We wanted that to sort of signifying imprisoning or enclosing all of the pretty lies that we kind of take on when it comes to people in our society or other people judging us and just kind of throw away the idea of comparing ourselves to other people instead of loving who we were created to be.”
CS4U: How has your music grown since your debut EP Inseparable?
Deena Jakoub: “I think as musicians you constantly grow, especially for us, you know, Brandon and I had performed together for several years, but working with Trevor and Kyle, you know, Veridia has only been around for about two and a half years, so we’ve grown together this time and being on the road together and we sort of influence each other when it comes to our personal bands and music that we listen to. We inspire each other on the road and in the studio.”
CS4U: Your band is all about honesty and truth. Has there ever been a time when it’s been a little difficult to write about the truth?
Deena Jakoub: “I think it depends on the topic, but yeah, it is difficult because when you’re trying to just be open and, you know, I define honesty even as vulnerability, being able to share your story, it takes bravery and it takes a willingness to allow people in your life that are going to judge where you’ve been and where you want to go and yeah sometimes it’s difficult to talk about pieces of your life that are a little bit dark or a little uncertain, but that’s the beauty of life in general is being able to overcome those obstacles and to just kind of live as someone that has overcome those things and hope that someone else can find encouragement to get through something similar.”
CS4U: You just sang the national anthem at the Cubs game. What was that like? Are you a big baseball fan?
Deena Jakoub: “Oh my goodness. Yeah, that was pretty incredible. Definitely one of the only games I ever went to as a kid and growing up was either soccer or baseball. I am definitely a baseball fan. I’m not really that sporty of a girl, but it’s one of those I guess you could say just a classic sporting event. It’s so epic to go and watch and be a part of. It definitely was dreamlike to be able to do that at Wrigley field in front of 30,000 people. It was definitely surreal.”
CS4U: You also performed at Disney’s Nights of Joy. What was your favorite part about Magic Kingdom? Do you have any favorite rides or Disney characters?
Deena Jakoub: “Okay, so Disney’s Nights of Joy, that was my first time to ever be in Disney. I would say I was like a 10-year-old that whole weekend. No inhibitions. I was just frolicking and doing everything that I could, trying to cram it into two days. We got to explore Hollywood Studios, a little bit of the Magic Kingdom and that was my favorite because that’s where all of the princesses were and fortunately there were some really amazing people that worked at Disney that took me around and I spent a couple hours meeting as many princesses as I could (laughs).”
CS4U: Who’s your favorite Disney princess?
Deena Jakoub: “I love Ariel because she sings, but I also love Jasmine because she kind of has this Middle Eastern thing and my dad’s from Egypt so it’s kind of like, I never really knew which one I was, I was like okay, well she’s the only one that’s like a kind of dark-skinned, but then Ariel…I guess they all sing, so I don’t know (laughs). I have no idea. I love them all. I really do. I love Cinderella, but I was like I never remotely looked like her, but I loved all of the songs from Cinderella, so I have no idea. Let’s just say all of the above (laughs).”
CS4U: You opened the Voodoo Festival in New Orleans last Halloween, and you’ll be back performing at it again this year. What can fans expect from the set? Will you guys be dressing up for the show?
Deena Jakoub: “We’re still debating wardrobe actually, but definitely expect a lot of new music. We’ve been working our buns off (laughs) writing as much as we could in the last year, so we have a little bit longer of a set I think because we really didn’t have that many songs last year, but still opening Halloween day. So excited. I can’t really tell you what we’re going to wear (laughs).”
CS4U: You started your first headlining tour last month. How’s the tour life? Is it what you expected it to be?
Deena Jakoub: “Yeah, I’m having a blast. We literally just got back to our hometown Nashville I think a day and a half ago. Our last show of the tour is on Friday, which is actually our official CD release show because we haven’t had physical copies until this weekend, so we’re excited about that. But yeah, in general, it’s been pretty awesome. We’re on tour with Drew Chadwick and getting to know him and Jack with him has been really awesome and, you know, we’ve been able to gain some fans and see a lot of familiar faces who have supported us since our Inseparable EP came out like 15 months ago, so it’s been really great.”
CS4U: You’ll be opening for Evanescence next month in Dallas and Los Angeles. How excited are you for those shows? Can your fans expect more shows after this or any more projects?
Deena Jakoub: “We’re all super excited. Definitely a band we grew up listening to, so being able to open for them is definitely surreal and I have no idea what to expect. I think it’s going to be a blast, especially being able to go to the west coast again like we haven’t been in quite a while so being able to perform there in LA is going to be awesome. The Dallas show of course that’s where I’m from so that’s going to be great just being able to play a hometown show with Evanescence is pretty sweet. I don’t really have any other upcoming news. We’re working on a music video right now as far as figuring out a treatment and doing that so people should be looking out for that shortly.”
CS4U: Since we are CelebSecrets4U, is there a secret about yourself or maybe the band that your fans may not know?
Deena Jakoub: “I have a birthmark on my back that looks like a T-rex with bunny ears (laughs). I don’t think very many people know that, but now you know.”
CS4U: Did you decide that yourself or have people told you that?
Deena Jakoub: “I decided it myself (laughs). Of course I can only see it in a mirror, but I don’t know. Everyone always thinks it’s a tattoo when they get up close and it’s just like a smudgy-like, creature-looking birthmark (laughs).”
