VERIDIA has accomplished quite a bit since their debut in 2014. They have been on tour with artists like Evanescence and RED. Several of their singles have made waves through the charts and on the radio. The Pretty Lies EP earned the band and vocalist Deena Jakoub three We Love Christian Music Awards. In 2018, they added the release of a full-length album to that list with The Beast You Feed. The album was nominated for THE HOOK AWARD (POP ALBUM OF THE YEAR) in the 7th Annual We Love Christian Music Awards.
I had the chance to attend the Dallas stop on The Beast You Feed Album Release Party tour. As VERIDIA played The Beast You Feed from start to finish, vocalist Deena Jakoub took us through the journey behind the songs. She told the audience how the album begins with a dark and depressing theme signifying the hard times they endured–just like the black and white split of their recent images, the second half of the album turns into a celebration of getting through the hard times. This show also had a special sentimental layer as Deena was able to share moments with friends and family who were in attendance, many of whom inspired the songs from the album.
Before the show, I had the chance to sit down with Deena and chat about the release.
This is a home show for you. Have you played here at the House of Blues?
Yes! This is like our third time here. I love this venue. Grew up in Dallas, of course. Love this place.
What venues are home to you here?
Oh my gosh, is The Door still open? We used to play there a lot. That was pretty much home base. I definitely have a few favorite venues. We never played Trees because it closed down for a while when we were a band. I’ve always wanted to play Trees because some of my favorite bands played there.
I was looking through the press release for The Beast You Feed. It says that this is your first studio album. That had me confused because I’ve heard so many of your songs before, but sure enough, it is. What was the transition from the EPs/singles to the full studio album?
I guess we kinda felt like it was time. Having a full-length album just sorta feels like you grew up a little bit, like “you’re finally professional!” At the same time, people don’t consume music the same way. With the EPs, we were like, we just need to get as much music out as frequently as possible. It made more sense to put an EP out, then put another EP out a little while later, etc. We were also kinda testing the waters. We built VERIDIA from the ground up and we wanted to see how people responded to our new songs. It formed into the sound that we felt compelled to move forward with and then we put The Beast You Feed together.
When someone starts a project, there’s always certain goals going into it, but projects can sometimes take a turn and end somewhere you don’t expect. What were your goals going into The Beast You Feed and where did that ultimately lead?
Musically, we just wanted to chase all the sounds that inspired us throughout the years. I got the chance to work with one my dream producers, Matt Squire. I had written him down on a list and we reached out to him. He was gracious enough to be like “Yeah dude, I want to work with you.” Matt produced the album, so that was really great.
Collectively, the goal for the album was that I just wanted to be able to walk away knowing that I put my heart and soul into it. I was able to tell the hard stories about difficult stuff that I’ve been through. I was also able to celebrate in the triumph of getting through those things in hopes that whoever is listening to it can apply their own personal stories to it. I hope someone can listen to a song like “I Won’t Stay Down” as an anthem and be able to get through what they’re going through.
What was the song that was the most personal for you on this record? The one that was most difficult to record, or had the hardest time writing?
It was definitely “I’ll Never Be Ready.” I wrote that ballad in the studio in LA with one of my really close friends. My dad was really sick and I knew his kidney failure would inevitably be how I would lose him. That awareness came over me and I just started writing it out, kicking myself in the gut just reminding myself that he’s not gone yet. I couldn’t change the fact that he was sick and I couldn’t tell myself when it was going to happen. It was inevitable that I would have to say goodbye, but I had this moment. I was able to have a more beautiful relationship with him because of it. It was really difficult, honestly. It was the first song we cut in the studio because I knew it would be hard to get through. I was like, “please don’t make it be at the end because I don’t know how long it’s going to take to make these cuts.”
What song has the fans responded to the most?
Definitely that one for sure, which is strange for us because it’s a ballad. Amy Lee played piano for it. I’m not a pianist. Having her on there just bought a new depth to it because she had recently lost her brother as well. So, with both of our stories combined, I think it just impacted the song in a powerful way that we weren’t expecting. It helped both of us through the healing process of losing someone really close to us. People really connected to that. Besides that one, “Perfume,” which we just released a music video for. “Numb” is also getting a very good response.
There are a few more dates left on this album release party, and then what’s next?
We’ll probably start booking some shows regionally, just dipping our toes in the water, you know? We all went through some really rough times these last couple years and actually recording the album took a while. Now that we’re back on our feet, just diving right in. It will be that, and I’m working on more visuals. I really want to tell more stories with music videos. Since we’re independent, a lot of our fans have been supporting us through Patreon. They’ve pretty much been funding our art and helping us be able to make these videos. It’s been really incredible.
Jake is a longtime fan of Christian music, Jesus Freak Cruiser, a techie, and a softball player. He lives in Texas with his wife and daughter.
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