Read the Veronika River Interview below and share it on social media.
Please tell our readers who you are and what you do?
My name is Veronika River and I am a singer/songwriter living and working in Los Angeles, CA. I tend to write songs in the Dance/EDM genre with a pop twist. There are many singers I am influenced by, including Sia, Lady Gaga, Adele, Bebe Rexha, and Tove Lo. I am originally from Birmingham, AL, and studied music at Interlochen Arts Academy and The Juilliard School. I have three self produced tracks out, and several collaborations with DJs/Producers from around the globe. You can follow me on SoundCloud (https://soundcloud.com/veronikariver) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/veronika.river/) to keep in touch for the latest updates on me, my music, and daily life.
How would you describe your influences and how have they changed over the years?
My musical journey has been quite varied and eclectic. From a very young age (four), I realized music was my number one passion in life. I spent my entire childhood listening to as much music as possible. Still to this day, I consume around 6-8 hours of music listening pleasure because I am trying to find inspiration and influences from anyone and everything. When I was a child I would watch a lot of music based movies, including everything as varied as FANTASTIA to FIDDLER ON THE ROOF to The Beatles' YELLOW SUBMARINE. I immersed myself in all genres and styles I could find. My parents allowed me to study music beginning at the age of four, beginning in classical music on the cello. Later I would go on to learn these instruments as well, in addition to being a singer: piano, flute, violin, drums, guitar, and ukulele. Here are some big influences at the moment:
Sia: https://soundcloud.com/siamusic/sia-chandelier
Cash Cash/Bebe Rexha: https://soundcloud.com/wearebigbeat/cash-cash-take-me-home-feat-bebe-rexha
Tove Lo: https://soundcloud.com/tovelo/habits
Clean Bandit/Zara Larsson: https://soundcloud.com/cleanbandit/symphony-feat-zara-larsson-1
Also, here are all the genres I listen to and have been a fan of forever: blues, rock, indie, folk, dance, EDM, hip-hop, pop, electronic, house, country, classical, and R&B. There is very little I will be adverse to listening to, as long as the message in the lyrics has a deep meaning and the production is well done – I am interested to hear it.
Singers that get me inspired include Sia, Adele, Tove Lo, Zara Larsson, Gwen Stefani, Demi Lovato, Rihanna, Miley Cyrus, Bebe Rexha, Lorde, Selena Gomez, Dua Lipa, Lana Del Rey, Kesha, Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, Halsey, Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars, Sam Smith, P!nk, Alessia Cara (how many more can I list)?! LOL! Seriously – there are so many talented artists out there to get excited about.
Long story short (not really, this is very long) – my style has evolved and focused more towards Dance music with a Pop sensibility. I strive to write ear warms as much as possible. However, my tone has been compared to many folk/R&B/Blues singers and even has a little Rock edge in the higher range. I think this is due to growing up in Alabama and all the Areosmith and AC/DC my Dad jammed out to when I was a young child.
What´s new right now?
Lots of cool music is out right now and more is about to drop by moi in collaboration with some incredibly talented DJs/Producers!
Check out my recent releases below:
This literally dropped out on Monday of this week!!!
HURRICANE: https://soundcloud.com/michael-fall/francesco-sparacello-feat-veronika-river-hurricane-master-v2
(Released on 1.22.18 with Francesco Sparacello on MF Records)
Music Video Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCNXCx1p1qg
BROKEN TO PIECES: https://soundcloud.com/dancecloudrecords/broken-to-pieces
(Released on 11.30.17 with M4PEX on Dance Cloud Records)
Music Video Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkAxlZ3Isl4
LOOKING FOR LOVE: https://soundcloud.com/otbmusicpublishing/m4pex-veronika-river-looking
(Released on 10.4.17 with M4PEX on OTB Music Publishing/EDM Records)
Music Video Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GV4_pmaR90k
I have many more collaborations in the works so stay tuned! Keep in touch with me here:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/veronika.river/
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/veronikariver
Twitter: https://twitter.com/veronikariver
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VeronikaRiver18/?fref=ts
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMB5bisNWmmiWN-Pn95YksQ
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3TdSshUbtCLy8zQHoak8Ss
AppleMusic: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/veronika-river/1194229565
Website: http://www.veronikariver.com/music.html
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Are you a superfan of anyone? How did you become a superfan? Do you remember how you become a fan and what turned you into super fan? Have you ever thought about why you´re such a fan?
I am a superfan of Sia for sure. I think she is the best singer/songwriter in the world right now. Her song "Chandelier" just cracked me in half when I heard it the first time. Her high range is powerful and yet vulnerable all at the same time. It is very emotional to listen to her music. It literally can bring me to tears. I would die to meet her or work with her one day. It would probably be awkward, but I would try to pull myself together enough to speak to her. I have also seen some rare interviews of her on TV, and respect her as a person so much. She doesn't seem like a diva singer at all. The fact that she wears a wig and covers her face is just amazing. She is also not in her music videos – and I like that a lot. I am also not in my three recent music videos, probably because of her.
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What was the biggest mistake you made when you started making music and what would be the number one tip you could give to a newcomer musician?
I think I over produced a lot of my early work. I would encourage producers to have simple tracks. Do not go crazy with 40 different instruments in a song. It won't come through in the mix anyway – so do not waste too much time on that.
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How do you get gigs? Can you share any tips?
I have been contacted from my ReverbNation page for many gigs. I highly recommend creating an account there and adding all your music.
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Do you have good promotion tips for other musicians?
I am very active on Instagram and it has been the number one way for me to promote. Plus, I have met amazing DJs/Producers on that platform. It has literally changed my life for the better.
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Do you have insights on how to grow your audience on soundcloud that you want to share with our audience?
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What has been your biggest challenge right now? Have you been able to overcome that challenge? If so, how?
My biggest challenge is balancing life right now, so I can spend enough time on all my music. I have so many songs lined up to write at the moment, and I tend to take a few weeks to write just one song. Hopefully in the future I can increase my speed because I hate to leave people waiting on me.
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How do you personally discover new music?
Spotify and AppleMusic playlists and radio stations are the main way. I also have a Dot, so Amazon Music will recommend new music to me in different genres I am interested in.
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Once you discovered new music, do you tell others about the new music/artist you discovered? If yes, how exactly?
“I usually add the songs I like in my AppleMusic and Spotify playlists. Plus, I have been reaching out to the Artists on Instagram and Twitter to tell them I like their music.
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What is your number one tip to improve your music production or songwriting skills?
In terms of songwriting – you need to have a clear idea of what your song is about. Then use this as the inspiration for the entire song all the way through from verse, pre-chorus to chorus.
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What is your best tip for those who struggle with finishing their tracks?
Never give up! Also- stop being such a perfectionist. Nothing is perfect. Just get your music out there. Keep kicking the ball everyday and you will improve.
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We meet again in one year. What has changed?
I am hoping for some amazing tracks to be released this year with a good amount of attention given to them. Fingers crossed I will have at least 200,000 spins on Spotify by next year. There are also some music festivals I hope to perform at this year. We shall see!!!
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http://www.veronikariver.com/music.html
https://soundcloud.com/veronikariver
https://www.facebook.com/VeronikaRiver18/?fref=ts
https://twitter.com/veronikariver
https://www.instagram.com/veronika.river/
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Enter your questions to the artist in the facebook comment section below.
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