Kelsey Byrne aka VÉRITÉ has been very busy this spring season. Her third EP Living was released earlier this month. She is currently performing on the west coast finale of her second headlining tour, soon to be concluding with shows at San Francisco’s Rickshaw Stop (31 May) and Los Angeles’ The Echo (2 June).
Already known for having a very loyal fanbase, VÉRITÉ has enjoyed performing for fans as well as new listeners on the current tour. “It’s been really good and amazing to see people who are really familiar with the [new] music,” Byrne replied by email. “Really good vibes.”
Byrne is decidedly more confident with each passing day, setting new challenges and pushing herself to do something bigger. This year? Planning a tour better than last year’s. “I think this live set up is just an elevation from the previous sets I’ve done,” said Byrne. “It’s always the goal to up yourself, and this tour feels like a clear step up.”
It’s surprising that Byrne is still unsigned, but the formerly classically trained pianist embraces the flexibility afforded to her independent status, particularly with regard to how her music is released. “I’m always writing in the context of an album, but I think being independent, it’s much easier to release and share music in this form at the moment,” Byrne said in an earlier interview. Translation: don’t expect a full-length album any time soon, although she’s “not opposed to the idea” of an LP (and the world anxiously awaiting).
Label independence also allows Byrne to pick which producers she wants to work with (and being a highly sought-after emerging artist doesn’t hurt either). She worked with five different producers for the five tracks on Living during a monthlong stint in LA, which pushed Byrne out of her comfort zone of usually working with only two producers. Though she feels the collaborative process is “horribly awkward” enough as it is, she didn’t shy away from the opportunities because “it’s much less awkward when I go in with a very solid vision.”
With her tour winding down, Byrne is eager to have some free time this summer, “[no planned] festivals this year, but [I’m] looking forward to writing more this summer and making plans for the fall.” And as always, living, writing, and much more living for the New York-based singer-songwriter. If you’re wondering where she gets the inspiration for her music, it’s of course the first and the latter. And she’s in.
[photo via Chad Kamenshine/Press Here]
NOTE: Article previously published on Blogcritics.