1 min. with a superhero: Verity
by Fred Roed on 07/04/08 at 6:00 am
1 comment
Verity is a singer/songwriter who decided to take a very unique tack in a highly competitive industry. Instead of signing a contract, Verity created a business model to fund the recording costs of her debut album. 2 years ago, Verity starting pre-selling her album to fans and believers through her website www.iamverity.com. Verity also decided to donate 10.6% of each sale towards artist upliftment and women empowerment in South Africa. Ideate met up with her to find out about her soon-to-be-launched album.
Verity, what makes you different?
My whole approach is to do things differently in the music industry and also make a difference at the same time. As far as I know it is the first time a South African artist has pre-sold over 1700 albums in 25 countries around the world BEFORE releasing their CD as well as giving nearly R30,000 to the two charities. The project really gave my mission and music the opportunity to be a purple cow in the music industry so to speak, and as a result has taken me into the world of inspirational speaking to share my journey and lessons with people.
What education do you have?
I have an undergrad in Psychology and Anthropology
Wow, so you’re a head-shrinker by trade. How did you get into the music industry?
I wrote my first song on my 20th birthday while I was still studying psychology at UCT, but it took me seven years to finally record a demo and head to the States and take the plunge to get into the music industry. Since then I have worked between SA and the US and have learned a huge amount about running bands, maintaining a performing schedule and raising the budget to record!
What about your job makes you lie awake at night?
Money and where it is going to come from!
Tell us one disaster story about life on the road?
When your work happens on stage there are loads of stories! One very clear one is right at the beginning of my career I came home from the US and was doing a show with backing tracks as I had yet to find a permanent band. Half way through a hugely emotional ballad the sound engineer bumped the cd player and it switched off, and I was left to sing the rest of the song unaccompanied as if nothing was wrong. Thankfully the audience seemed to think it was part of show, but I wanted to die and strangle the sound guy when I finished!
What kind of people listen to your music?
People who love music as well as the message it carries and who are keen to get involved in projects that give back in some way. Through this funding project, I’ve had people who will pre-buy an album on my site after reading the concept and then send me mail asking if they can listen to anything! That is the kind of trust I just LOVE!
Your secret to success…
Perserverance and not being afraid to think out the box and then act on my crazy ideas!
What is your best marketing tool?
I think that my songs and I am. When people hear my songs and story, it seems to stick with them and they jump on board.
The music sector is a notoriously tough industry. Tell us some pitfalls to avoid…
Getting stuck on telling everyone how hard the music industry is, really stops musicians from thinking creatively to get their material out there. I also think that the ‘rockstar lifestyle’ is a huge trap that alot of muso’s fall into and can fast track really talented people for a big fall.
Ok, so destroy a myth about the industry.
I think my project has shown that the music industry definitely can continue to be re-invented and that there are infinite ways for artists to get their music out there. It definitely hasn’t all be done!
Tell our faithful readers something that no one knows about you. Give us a scoop…
I used to be really shy of speaking in front of people and spent my entire matric year bunking school when it was turn to read the Bible in assembly.
Don’t worry, no one used to listen anyway. Through your album project, what is the best business lesson you’ve learned so far?
In the “music business” there are more letters in the word ‘business’ than there are in ‘music’, so that is where you should focus your attention!
Describe Verity’s average day…
It is very varied. If I am recording then we are pretty much holed up from 9am – 10pm, otherwise I spend a lot of time updating my site and blog, going to acting auditions, writing songs, rehearsing with the band and performing. No day is the same… which is really great!
Sounds pretty similar to my day, except no one wants to hear me singing. How many people do you have in your team?
Initially I ran the project alone with the help of the team at World Wide Creative to keep my site going. I then had a great manager (Donna McCallum) for year helping to get the project out there, and I now am in the process of signing a distrubition deal with Musketeer Records which will give me a great new team to take the finished album to the world.
Thanks for the plug! What is your BHAG?
My what???
Never mind… Finally, a word of advice to Ideate readers – is there a lot of money to be made in this industry?
Well – if you crack this industry you also hit the jackpot – but it probably is the biggest risk industry with the least guarantees, so it is only worth being in if it is where your heart and passion lies. For me this has always been about the journey and great if at the end of it there is money to be made – lets see when the album releases!
Thanks Verity. Ideate readers: you know what to do! Support this very loyal, South African singer / songwriter / assembly Bible reader / entrepreneur and buy her album. The first single is released this month, and the album in May.
Check out Verity’s site here, and her blog at www.iamverity.co.za
Fred Roed is the marketing guy in the Ideate crew. Fred is the CEO of web marketing company World Wide Creative and the co-founder of online learning portal Heavy Chef. Fred loves writing about people out there doing marketing right. Follow Fred on Twitter here. View more articles by Fred Roed.
Ramon Thomas
Apr 7th, 2008
Verity and Donna McCallum was both part of the Women4Women conference which will be in Cape Town and Durban this year.