Verity

Verity is a singer and songwriter with a difference. Set on becoming a psychologist, she was surprised in her first year at university when she was inspired to write song lyrics sitting on Noordhoek beach on her twentieth birthday. She says it is the best gift she has ever been given, although very daunting and unexpected.

The reason she finally committed to living her dream was the result of losing her father unexpectedly in 1999. The shock of his loss left her searching for meaning and she found it in the form of an 800km solo walk across Spain to Santiago de Compestello. She realized that if she could walk across a country then there wasn’t much she couldn’t do.

Finally on the path, she recorded a demo in 2001 before heading to the U S for a year. Her demo single “Raise” was playlisted on SAfm in 2002 and in the same year she won The Catch A Rising Star competition in Florida, USA and was awarded a US working visa as an artist of outstanding ability. She returned to SA in 2003 to focus on building her career at home and in May 2006 her first official radio single “Wherever Love Goes” produced by Theo Crous of the Springbok Nude Girls was released to radio stations.

Verity has been performing regularly in Cape Town for the last three years and has a loyal & growing following. She has hosted & performed at the Media 24 Annual Awards with Brandon October, MC’d for The Red Cross Children’s Hospital charity drive and was recently one of the featured artists at The Women’s Show in Cape Town. Last year she undertook a six month visit to the US where she has been building a strong fan base – performing in Nashville and in New York to full houses.

In 2003 Verity ventured into film work and is the girl who steals the last sip of wine in the Nederburg commercial. She has also had supporting roles opposite Sean Astin (Lord of the Rings) in the action adventure “Slipstream” with Vinnie Jones and with Luke Goss in the Steven Seagal movie “The Mercenary”. When not on camera she gives her time to worthy causes and is the voice for a radio spot for POWA raising awareness about woman abuse in SA.

Verity recently launched a CD initiative The Lucky Packet Project. The initiative aims to sell 5000 future copies of her album to raise the recording budget. Future Owners of her CD are listed on her site & interactively create the CD by voting for songs & sleeve designs. 10.6% of all sales are pledged to 2 charities. One to help victims of woman abuse in South African and the other to financially aid developing singers in SA with her Live Your Dreams Foundation that she has started.

Verity has sold nearly 900 future copies in 20 countries around the world, and her Live Your Dreams fund has been able to pay for a young woman singer Mimi Ntenjwa to record a demo. She has also been able to furnish one of POWA’s shelters with linen and crockery from money raised by album sales. In 2006 she was made an ambassodor for education and as such gets to award 60 Intec Bursaries a year to deserving South Africans, including women being assisted to leave abusive situations. Verity’s Lucky Packet Project has inspired people around the world and her live performances are inspiring. During a recent show an American businessman in the crowd bought 100 future copies of her album and by the end of the evening over 200 future copies had been sold. Verity’s unique approach to funding an album is proving that it is possible to make a difference by doing things differently and that her music and vision is inspiring and uplifting not only in South Africa but around the world.

“…Verity’s music ignites that ‘umph’, that ‘hell ya!’, that ‘this is awesome!’ feeling inside of us. Her music has the ability to move someone emotionally and mentally to all kinds of states…enthusiasm, sorrow, hope and joy…” Future Owner #92, Jason Radowsky, Canada.

Verity, we salute you!