You could say 17-year-old Canadian singer Veronica is just “being Veronica.” She’s signed to Universal Music. She has two successful singles – “Incompatible” and “Busted” – which you may recognize from their frequent plays on Family Channel. She has over 10,000 likes on Facebook and 20,000 on her Twitter account (@beingVERONICA), and she’s played shows with the likes of R5 and Karl Wolf. Now, to top it all off, Veronica will be able to add a single with Kardinal Offishall and a full-length album to her list of accomplishments.
THE MAGAZINE recently caught up with Veronica to talk about her new single “Walkin’ On Clouds,” working with hot guys (every girl’s dream) and Cody Simpson’s voice.
You just shot the music video for your new single, “Walkin’ On Clouds,” with Kardinal Offishall! What is the concept of the video?
It’s going to be a very fun video with my friends. We shot at the Woodbine Centre’s Fantasy Fair, so it has a very great energy. The whole point of the song is feeling good about yourself — not thinking about the bad stuff, but thinking about the good stuff and feeling like you’re walking on clouds. Me and my friends are having an awesome day at the Fantasy Fair and enjoying life.
You tweeted about casting hot guys for the video. How hard was that?
It was SO difficult! We wanted to get guys for the video and the guys that came out were so good looking. The whole time I was so red. I felt sort of nervous to meet them because I saw all of these beautiful guys walking in. I was in heaven. They probably had no idea that I was freaking out, but I was dying.
What inspired the song?
My manager and I were looking for my new single and when my manager first played “Walkin’ On Clouds” to me, the sound of the song reminded me so much of something that I would sing now and represents who I am now. I’m 17 and I’m going to be 18 in a couple of weeks, so I am getting older and my sound is growing with me.
When can we expect an album?
I’m working on an album now. This summer has been one of my craziest. I’ve been doing band rehearsals and I’ve been in the studio writing music, working with vocal producers and stuff. I’m really looking forward to having a lot of my own stuff on the album. It’s happening. I’m working on it.
What kind of messages do you hope that your songs will send?
I want my fans and just people in general to enjoy the music and feel good when they’re listening to it. I think a lot of times we’re always feeling down and depressed and something’s bothering us, but it’s nice once in a while to look at the positive things in life. I am a very positive person so I really want that message to come across in my music. Even though everything may not be okay one day, it’s always good to look at the bright side.
Your first single, “Incompatible,” is super catchy and still plays on Family Channel. What’s that song about?
That song is about my sister. Me and my sister are complete opposites. We do get along but honestly, we are completely incompatible. Personality wise, we are so different. The whole focus of the song was that you can still be friends with someone but you can also be complete opposites.
On September 7, you will be in Calgary performing as part of Family Channel’s Big Ticket Summer Concert. You performed last year at the Toronto show. What can we expect to see this year?
I’m going to be singing “Walkin’ On Clouds” and a secret cover song. I think this year there is going to be a lot more energy. I’ve been practicing a lot and my voice is changing and maturing. The more I practice, the more it gets better. I’m having fun with it so I think it’s going to be a crazy show. I am so excited to be performing with R5 again, Eleven Past One and Tyler Shaw.
How do you get pumped up for a performance? Do you have any pre-show rituals?
I dance around a lot to really hyped-up music, like rap, to get me excited. Also, just knowing that there are people out there wanting to hear me is kind of the motivation and that gets me going. At the Toronto show, I had met some fans before at a meet & greet and I saw some of them in the crowd. They tweet me and stuff, so it’s nice that you can recognize your fans.
If you could work with any one artist, who would it be and why?
Right now, I’m really digging Cody Simpson’s album. It’s amazing. I think that he would be a great artist to work with because he has such a nice sound. It’s so relaxing and so beach-y. It has such great vibes. I think that we would do a killer song.
What are the most played songs on your iPod right now?
I listen to all types of genres, so there’s a lot of country music, rap, Cody Simpson’s album… I’m still obsessed with Justin Bieber and I always will be. His ‘My World’ and ‘My World 2.0’ albums are always playing on my iPod. I think Capital Cities’ “Safe and Sound” was my summer song. Every time I would hear it on the radio, it would make me so happy and I felt in such a great, summer mood.
How would you describe your personal sound?
It is pop but it’s a bit different than pop. It’s me. When my personality changes and I mature, my sound changes as well. I love making pop music but I also love hip-hop or a bit of an alternative style. Right now, I’m still experimenting on how I want my sound to be. It’s a soulful pop.
How would you describe your style?
I really love Brandy Melville, All Saints and muted colors – I’m always wearing black. Something that I’m wearing is always black, but that’s just kind of who I am. Selena Gomez is a big inspiration for me for style. I think she always dresses with class and she always has a certain elegance about her and that’s what I try and carry when I’m shopping and looking for clothes.
What’s next for Veronica?
The album! After this concert in Calgary, I’m going to keep writing music and keep trying to live my dream because performing in front of my fans is what I live for. The feeling I get when I’m on stage is incredible, so I’m just going to keep doing what I’m doing. I definitely think later this year there are going to be some Toronto shows and I definitely want to do a meet & greet with my fans. I want to go out west to British Columbia too and maybe do a meet & greet. I think that’s important – doing an intimate performance with the fans. I think they would really enjoy that.
Thank you, Veronica!