Veridia

Veridia formed when Deena Jakoub (vocals) and Brandon Brown (guitar) moved from Dallas to Nashville after the end of their previous band Don't Wake Aislin, in late 2012.{{Cite magazine |title=Biography |url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/5901307/veridia/biography |access-date=May 6, 2015 |magazine=Billboard}} Seeking a new start with a fresh sound, they quickly recruited Trevor Hinesley (guitar) and Kyle Levy (drums) to round out the quartet (unnamed at the time) in December 2012.{{Cite web |title=An Interview With VERIDIA… |date=April 25, 2014 |url=http://www.jesuswired.com/interview-veridia |access-date=April 25, 2014 |publisher=Jesus Wired}} They do not have a bassist as a permanent band member in the band, nor do they have one performing in a live setting.

In early 2013, the group began writing and demoing songs with various co-writers and producers in Nashville while trying to determine what they would name their newly formed group. They eventually settled on Veridia, a combination of the words "veritas" (Latin for "truth") and "veridical" (also meaning "truth"). Of the name, Jakoub says, "Veridia means 'of truth.' It's our creed, to strive for raw honesty in all that we do, being true to ourselves, the ones we love and in our music."{{Cite web |title=Introducing VERIDIA... |url=http://www.wordlabelgroup.com/news/2014/02/04/introducingveridia |access-date=February 4, 2014 |publisher=Word Label Group}} To include a form of "truth" as part of their name was inspired by Kahlil Gibran. They call the naming process one of the biggest early challenges the band had overcome. In a Q&A at Pulse Radio headquarters in 2016, guitarist Hinesley stated that the name for the band was almost "Aviara". "We had the dumbest band names in the world," he said. "Don't hire us if you need a band name!"{{Cite web |title=Pulse 101.7 FM - Timeline {{!}} Facebook |url=https://www.facebook.com/Pulse1017/videos/1281454701872241/ |access-date=July 28, 2016 |via=Facebook}}

File:Veridia2.jpg

Before recording Inseparable, the band wrote more than 70 songs trying to develop their sound and find their identity as a young band.{{Cite web |title=Artist spotlight part four: Veridia |url=http://www.theredledger.net/2014/06/11/artist-spotlight-part-four-veridia |access-date=June 11, 2014 |publisher=The Red Ledger}} Of those songs, they eventually narrowed the list down to 5 songs they would take into the studio with three different producers. "We Are the Brave," "Disconnected," and "Furious Love" were produced by Ian Eskelin; "Mechanical Planet" was produced by Matt Bronleewe; "Mystery of the Invisible" was produced by Stephen Keech (of Haste the Day).{{Cite web |title=Inseparable - VERIDIA |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/inseparable-mw0002620010 |access-date=February 25, 2014 |publisher=AllMusic}} Jakoub is quoted as to have been listening to bands such as Chvrches, Twenty One Pilots, and Panic! at the Disco while helping write songs.

On February 4, 2014, the band released an album trailer video on YouTube and launched an iTunes pre-order with "We Are the Brave" as an instant free track. And on February 24, the band partnered with HM Magazine to stream the album the day before it was released.{{Cite web |title=HM Exclusive First Listen: VERIDIA's debut EP 'Inseparable' |url=http://www.hmmagazine.com/blog/hm-exclusives/hm-exclusive-first-listen-veridias-debut-ep-inseparable |access-date=February 24, 2014 |work=HM Magazine|date=February 24, 2014 }}

The song was later picked up by ESPN for use in their television broadcasts of NCAA Softball.{{Cite web |title=Veridia featured on NCAA softball |url=https://www.espn.com/blog/music/post/_/id/6877/veridia-featured-on-ncaa-softball |access-date=April 5, 2014 |publisher=ESPN}}

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the band was tapped to open Suburbia Music Festival in Plano, Texas on May 4, 2014. The festival, produced by Live Nation and headlined by David Guetta, Alabama Shakes, and J. Cole, was the band's second show ever and first show in the Dallas metroplex, hometown of Jakoub and Brown.

A music video for "Disconnected" was filmed in Austin, Texas with director Traci Goudie the week of May 5, 2014, and later released on July 21, 2014.

They went on their first tour as the opening act for Red and Demon Hunter in August 2014.{{Cite web |title=Run & Escape Tour Dates Revealed |url=http://www.indievisionmusic.com/2014/06/17/run-escape-tour-dates-revealed |access-date=June 17, 2014 |publisher=Indie Vision Music}}

They performed at Voodoo Music + Arts Experience in New Orleans, Louisiana on Halloween (October 31, 2014), which was produced by Live Nation and headlined by Foo Fighters, Outkast, Arctic Monkeys, and Skrillex.{{Cite web |title=2014 Voodoo Fest lineup to feature Foo Fighters, Outkast, Skrillex, Arctic Monkeys |date=June 19, 2014 |url=http://www.nola.com/voodoofest/index.ssf/2014/06/2014_voodoo_fest_lineup_to_fea.html |access-date=June 19, 2014 |publisher=Nola.com}}

They served as the opening act on Winter Jam West 2014 boasting attendance of 112,000 over nine shows across arenas in New Mexico, Arizona, California, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon.{{Cite web |title=Winter Jam Brings Gospel to More than 112,000 on West Coast! |url=http://www.premierproductions.com/blog/winter-jam-brings-gospel-more-112000-west-coast |access-date=November 17, 2014 |publisher=Premier Productions}} They will open for the East 2015 leg of the tour, playing 47 shows in arenas across the east coast, midwest, and south.

In mid-2015, the group released a set of five videos of acoustic songs not on the "Inseparable" EP, titled Summer Sessions. In April 2016, they released these songs as a free download called Summer Sessions, Vol. I.{{Cite web |title=VERIDIA Offers 'The Summer Sessions' EP For Free |url=http://www.newreleasetoday.com/news_detail.php?newsid=1496 |access-date=October 24, 2016 |website=newreleasetoday.com}}

In 2015, they released their second EP, Pretty Lies. The title track featured vocals from Matty Mullins of Memphis May Fire. The music video was released on March 10, 2016, and a commentary video, featuring Jakoub, and filmed in Nashville, Tennessee, was also released.{{Citation |title=VERIDIA // "Pretty Lies" feat. Matty Mullins (Story Behind The Music Video) |date=March 14, 2016 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6Sb65hjgaw |access-date=October 24, 2016}}

In late 2015, the band began their first headlining tour, the "Only the Crazy Survive Tour".{{Cite web |title=Only The Crazy Survive Tour 2015! {{!}} Veridia Music Updates |url=http://veridiamusic.com/news/only-crazy-survive-tour-2015-19781 |access-date=October 24, 2016 |website=Veridia Music Official Website}} For their tour, they partnered with Mocha Club, an organization committed to helping people in Africa.{{Cite web |title=Mocha Club and Veridia Announce Tour Partnership! {{!}} Veridia Music Updates |url=http://veridiamusic.com/news/mocha-club-and-veridia-announce-tour-partnership-19961 |access-date=July 28, 2016 |website=Veridia Music Official Website}}

In 2016, they went on a summer tour with band Random Hero and ILIA.{{Cite web |title=Random HERO BIG Summer TOUR w/ Veridia {{!}} ILIA |url=https://www.facebook.com/events/1241149489274744/ |access-date=October 24, 2016 |via=Facebook}} That September, they also played at Night of Joy for the second year in a row.{{Cite web |title=Night of Joy Overview |url=http://www.wdwmagic.com/events/night-of-joy.htm |access-date=October 24, 2016 |website=wdwmagic.com}}

File:Veridia Aftershow 2017.jpg

On September 16, 2016, the band released "Still Breathing", to radio on September 23.{{Citation |title=VERIDIA // "Still Breathing" [official audio] |date=September 16, 2016 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QU4Tg7vAQg0 |access-date=October 24, 2016}} Being previously recorded on the Summer Sessions EP, it was rerecorded as full band electric song for the release.

On October 22, 2016, the band announced that Trevor Hinesley was leaving to focus on health and to spend more time with his family.{{Cite web |title=VERIDIA {{!}} Facebook |url=https://www.facebook.com/veridiamusic/ |access-date=October 24, 2016 |via=Facebook}} Hinesley would not join the band for their tour with Evanescence, but would play with them on the Christmas Rock Night in Germany in December, the band's first international show. On October 28, the band went on tour with Evanescence, opening in Dallas, Texas. On October 31, 2016, they released a music video for "Still Breathing", filmed in a haunted house in Nashville, Tennessee.{{Citation |title=VERIDIA // "Still Breathing" [official music video] |date=October 30, 2016 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hymuOXYAuwk |access-date=October 31, 2016}}{{Cite web |date=October 31, 2016 |title=VERIDIA Release Haunted New Music Video For 'Still Breathing' |url=https://giantsinthesound.com/2016/10/31/veridia-release-haunted-new-music-video-for-still-breathing/ |access-date=October 30, 2018 |publisher=Giants In The Sound}}

During the early months of 2017, Deena Jakoub's father died.{{Cite web |title=Instagram post by VERIDIA // ▽△ • Apr 7, 2017 at 5:42pm UTC |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/BSl8mglAxvF/ |url-access=registration |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/instagram/veridia/1487861781027298245_1487854832793628737 |archive-date=December 25, 2021 |access-date=April 8, 2017 |website=Instagram}}{{cbignore}} Jakoub went to Egypt, where he was from, for the first time to bury him according to his wishes. The band went on hiatus for most of 2017 in order to take more time to spend with family.

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On January 7, 2018, the band announced that they had signed with Razor & Tie, and they were heading into the studio.{{Cite web |date=January 8, 2018 |title=We officially started recording the new album TODAY! New songs, new album, new label, new hair... pic.twitter.com/ElwWxNv9fF |url=https://twitter.com/VERIDIA/status/950533845782269952/video/1 |access-date=September 29, 2019 |website=@VERIDIA}}{{Primary source inline|date=March 2018}} The band recorded ten songs for the full-length album and held frequent live streams to update fans in the studio. While the band was recording the album, the Razor & Tie record label was acquired by Concord Music.{{Cite magazine |title=Concord Music Fully Acquires Razor & Tie |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/8094871/concord-music-razor-tie-acquires-label |magazine=Billboard}} This led to VERIDIA being released from Razor & Tie, later announcing that they would be releasing the album independently and launching a crowdfunding campaign. On June 29, they announced that the album, The Beast You Feed, would be released in late 2018 and launched a PledgeMusic campaign for the album's release.{{Cite web |title=VERIDIA: New Studio Album - Coming This Fall |url=https://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/veridia-new-studio-album |access-date=June 30, 2018 |website=PledgeMusic}} In less than a month, the band surpassed their goal.{{Cite web |title=VERIDIA |url=https://www.facebook.com/veridiamusic/videos/10212938054271783/ |access-date=July 31, 2018 |via=Facebook |language=en}} On July 27, 2018, they released the first single, "Numb", off the album.{{Citation |title=Numb - Single by VERIDIA |date=July 27, 2018 |url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/numb-single/1399694361 |language=en-US |access-date=October 30, 2018}} The album was officially released on October 26, 2018.{{Citation |title=The Beast You Feed by VERIDIA |date=October 26, 2018 |url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-beast-you-feed/1436275436 |access-date=October 30, 2018}} Other singles from the album include "I Won't Stay Down" released on September 28, 2018{{Cite web |date=September 28, 2018 |title=I Won't Stay Down - Single by VERIDIA |url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/i-wont-stay-down-single/1434068165 |website=Apple ITunes}}{{Cite magazine |title=I Won't Stay Down - VERIDIA Single |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/8477284/veridia-i-wont-stay-down |magazine=Billboard}} and "Cheshire Smile" released on October 19, 2018.{{Cite web |date=October 19, 2018 |title=Cheshire Smile - Single by VERIDIA |url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/cheshire-smile-single/1439427057 |website=Apple ITunes}}{{better source|date=August 2019|reason=Being for sale as an individual song is not the same as being released as a single}}{{Cite web |title=New Releases October 19, 2018 |url=https://www.indievisionmusic.com/news/new-releases-october-19-2018/ |website=Indie Vision Music|date=October 20, 2018 }}

In 2019, the group toured the US and Europe with Evanescence{{Cite web |title=Veridia Concerts May 2019 |url=https://rockonpurpose.live/2019/03/05/veridia-and-evanescence-announce-tour/ |website=RockOnPurpose|date=March 5, 2019 }}{{Cite web |title=Evanescence Shows |url=https://www.jambase.com/band/evanescence/past-shows?y=2019 |website=JamBase}}{{Cite web |title=Veridia September 2019 Concerts |url=http://evtod.thefanhost.com/index.php/2019/08/17/veridia-joining-evanescence-on-european-tour/ |website=TheFanHost}} and the US with Icon for Hire{{Cite web |title=VERIDIA 2019 Shows Shows |url=https://www.jambase.com/band/veridia/past-shows?y=2019 |website=JamBase}}

On April 3, 2020, the band released "Blood Diamond"{{Cite web |title=Blood Diamond - Single by VERIDIA |url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/1504160313?app=music&fbclid=IwAR1ZrsgF1Ju8XFG-Mz3RQcBmwthD65lw-foNyForH0NPJZIopJMcPtNUwF0&lId=1843853&cId=none&src=Linkfire&sr=2&ign-itsct=catchall_p2&ign-itscg=30440&ign-mpt=uo%3D4 |access-date=April 3, 2020 |website=Apple Music}} followed by "Light It Up" on September 25{{Cite web |title=Light It Up - Single by VERIDIA |url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/light-it-up-single/1529617312 |access-date=September 25, 2020 |website=Apple Music}} and "Crushed Velvet" on November 20.{{Cite web |title=Crushed Velvet - Single by VERIDIA |url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/crushed-velvet-single/1535404134 |access-date=November 20, 2020 |website=Apple Music}}

On January 14, 2022, the band released "Pain Reliever",{{Cite web |title=Pain Reliever - Single by VERIDIA |url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/pain-reliever-single/1603698110 |access-date=January 14, 2022 |website=Apple Music}} the title track{{Cite web |title=VERIDIA - "Pain Reliever" Facebook |url=https://www.facebook.com/veridiamusic/videos/682106916260994/ |access-date=January 14, 2022 |via=Facebook}} from their upcoming EP.{{Cite web |title=VERIDIA Announce Pain Reliever EP |url=https://jesuswired.com/2021/12/10/veridia-announce-pain-reliever-ep/ |access-date=December 10, 2021 |website=Jesus Wired}} They plan to perform with Evanescence and Within Temptation in April 2022 as part of the Worlds Collide tour.{{Cite web |title=Worlds Collide Tour |url=https://www.worldscollidetour.net/ |access-date=January 20, 2022 |website=Worlds Collide Tour}}

They have been compared to Jesus music,{{Cite web |last=Andre |first=Jonathan |date=March 1, 2014 |title=Review : VERIDIA – Inseparable EP |url=http://www.indievisionmusic.com/2014/03/01/veridia-inseparable-ep/ |access-date=December 22, 2015 |publisher=Indie Vision Music}} contemporary Christian music,{{Cite web |last=Myatt |first=Wayne |date=June 1, 2014 |title=Veridia, "Inseparable EP" Review |url=http://www.jesusfreakhideout.com/cdreviews/InseparableEP.asp |access-date=December 22, 2015 |publisher=Jesus Freak Hideout}}{{Cite web |last=Andre |first=Joshua |date=October 4, 2015 |title=Music Reviews: VERIDIA – Pretty Lies EP |url=http://www.365daysofinspiringmedia.com/reviews/veridia-pretty-lies-ep/ |access-date=December 22, 2015 |publisher=365 Days of Inspiring Media}} and female-fronted rock bands such as Flyleaf and Fireflight,{{Cite web |last=Francesco |first=Jonathan J. |date=March 13, 2014 |title=Braving the Mechanical Planet |url=http://www.newreleasetoday.com/userprofile_reviewssinglepost.php?review_id=22228&user_id=7472 |access-date=December 22, 2015 |publisher=New Release Today}} their style fitting into alternative rock,{{Cite web |last=Journey |first=Angel |date=February 25, 2014 |title=VERIDIA Unleash Their Electrifying 5 Star Debut "Inseparable" EP Today |url=http://jesuswired.com/veridia-unleash-electrifying-5-star-debut-inseparable-ep-today-2/ |access-date=December 22, 2015 |publisher=Jesus Wired}}{{Cite journal |last=Rumble |first=Darcy |date=February 4, 2016 |title=Veridia - Pretty Lies |url=http://hmmagazine.com/blog/album-reviews/veridia-pretty-lies/ |journal=HM Magazine |access-date=February 12, 2016}} and have been noted to have pop rock sounds. Signed to Christian record label, Word Records, they have been reviewed extensively by Christian media and have played and charted on Christian radio.

Jakoub has attempted to distance the band from the Christian band label stating, "we've actually never classified our music as 'Christian rock', we have always been an alternative band on all formats."{{Cite web |date=November 13, 2018 |title=VIDEO PREMIERE: VERIDIA'S 'NUMB' TACKLES LEARNING TO HEAL AFTER LOSS |url=https://www.ladygunn.com/music/video-premiere-veridias-numb-tackles-learning-to-heal-after-loss |access-date=November 13, 2018 |publisher=LadyGunn}} "I don't believe in using faith as a marketing tool, it's not a commodity. Just let an artist write from that place of vulnerable honesty, and let the listener connect through their own story."{{Cite web |title=Meet Deena Jakoub of Veridia |date=August 5, 2019 |url=http://voyagela.com/interview/meet-deena-jakoub-veridia-mostly-east |access-date=August 5, 2019 |publisher=VoyageLA}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{official website|http://veridiamusic.com}}

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Category:Musical groups established in 2013

Category:Musical groups from Nashville, Tennessee

Category:Alternative rock groups from Tennessee

Category:Word Records artists

Category:Warner Music Group artists

Category:2013 establishments in Tennessee

Category:Female-fronted musical groups