Veridian – Curtains

By starrymag | August 18, 2019

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

Simon: We’ve always focused on having a huge sound, hooky choruses with big harmonies and a range of synths, with strings and brass to support the pounding drums and big guitar riffs.

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

Jonny: Our influences range from Biffy Clyro to Deftones, Enter Shikari and Don Broco and other music like Twenty One Pilots, Eminem and Post Malone.

 

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Curtains.”

Robbie: The majority of people will spend the majority of their day staring through a small portable window into a different world where everyone is rich, attractive and happy – and it’s not healthy. Our sense of success has been twisted and warped by being constantly reminded of what other people have, or at least what they pretend to have, and it leaves you with a deep sense of dissatisfaction with the world in which you inhabit. “Curtains” is about that dissatisfaction which has led to me feeling insecure and anxious about putting myself on a platform, to show the world what I have to offer, for fear that it will fall far short of the world’s new unattainable standards.

 

Q) The song came out on July 26th. How had you planned to celebrate the track being released?

Zak: Well, we’re on tour during the release. We played Satan’s Hollow in Manchester on that night which I thought it was open until 3am… Beers and Jägerbombs?

 

Q) How will the video for the track play into the message behind it?

Robbie: I don’t like going into too much detail with things like this. I like people to find their own meaning and messages in not only our music but our videos and lyrics, too. Our last EP was named cryptically for a reason. I guess you’ll have to watch the video to work it out.

 

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics? 

Robbie: It varies wildly from song to song. It completely depends on the source of inspiration for the song. If it’s a vocal motif that’s been rolling round my head for hours I would start from there. But if Simon and I hit a riff that immediately grabs our attention when we’re jamming in our studio we would probably start from there. The only thing we do the same every time is making sure early on in the process that we’ve got a chorus, a hook and atmosphere. If an idea is missing either of those three components it’s never going to make the cut. We take time over our songs. We will always tinker and tweak until we feel that we have done the core idea of the song justice and found the best song that idea could’ve evolved into.

 

Q) How much of hand do you have in the production of your music? 

Simon: I record and produce all of our songs, from the earliest ideas that Robbie and I jam up until the final mix and master. We’ve always kept things in house and we’ve all developed our own skill sets within the band with the intention of being as independent as possible. It’s an amazing position to be in, that this band has motivated and driven us to develop so many other skills that can only benefit us for the rest of our lives. But at the end of the day, we work hard at what we do to make this band as big and successful as possible.

 

Q) What can fans expect from a live Veridian performance?

Robbie: We pay a lot of attention to our live set. We’ve always wanted to put on the biggest show we can and for the past year have been touring with our own lighting rig to make sure we don’t compromise on any bill we feature on. It really has given our live performances an edge. Perfectly synchronized lighting can change the impact of a big chorus or drop. Besides the lights, we rehearse tirelessly in preparation for our tours to ensure we are the tightest band we can be and sound as authentic and polished live as we do on record.

 

Q) What kind of themes will we see explored on your upcoming EP?

Robbie: This EP comes from a more uncomfortable place than our previous effort. All these songs were written in the period of time before we signed with Revival. We had just lost a band member and everything was shrouded with a sense of uncertainty. It’s amazing how that uncertainty can impact so many other aspects of your life as you carry that emotional baggage around with you and, personally, I found writing and the song writing process cathartic and it helped make sense of everything else that was going on. So, the songs on this EP are from a darker place, but the EP still has a sense of positivity around it too. We got through that period of time – partly due to these songs – and with joining Revival we are going on to be bigger, better and stronger than ever.

 

Q) What do you hope listeners take away from listening to the EP as a whole?

Simon: I hope that listeners are blown away. We don’t write music with the intention of sitting into any particular sub-genre or attitude that already exists. We write the music that we want to hear that no one else is writing right now. Our music is emotional and we always strive for that epic moment that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. If anyone can empathize with our songs or find their own meaning within them then we are achieving everything we set out to do as a band.

 

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you? 

Jonny: We’ve played a lot of venues up and down the UK so it’s hard to choose a favorite. Our show at The Garage in London with The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus was one of our favorites. The venue was packed with nearly six hundred people. That venue has great sound and a great stage. It was such a good night.

 

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

Stack: We get asked this question a lot and it’s not something we tend to think about much but to have a heavier singer feature could be wicked. I’d personally love to have Rou from Enter Shikari dropping a few lines into a track.

 

Q) What album/band are you currently listening to and why do you dig them? 

Stack: I keep going back to Don Broco’s album Technology, which has been out for ages now. It’s just got so many different elements to it that creates an incredible album. Emarosa’s last album as well was brilliant in the same way.

 

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

Zak: The music industry is very different these days and the change doesn’t seem to be halting any time soon. Social media gives us a platform to engage with our fans, but it’s pretty much a 24/7 job. We can connect with people all around the world at any time of day. This is crucial to our growth as a band.

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

All: I think just a simple thank you. Thank you for your support so far, thank you for your continued support and thank you for being a part of this. We can’t wait to grow and evolve with you.