“Take me to the fucking roof,” begs VÉRITÉ on “Underdressed”—one of the songs off her new EP Living. This may read as an entreaty to her own self. With a new collection of tracks comprising tightly crafted hooks and caressing melodies, the NYC-raised alt-pop diva-in-the-making is aiming high and shooting fast. Here’s what you need to know about the singer apart from the fact that we’re totally crushing on her latest single “Constant Crush.”   

She’s a Busy New Yorker

“When I started writing for this project, it was the opposite of what you’d expect.," she divulges. "It wasn’t me sitting and writing all day, feeling creatively inspired. I was working a lot at a day job as a waitress. For me being in New York was all about being independent and in control of what I was doing. And in the little bits of time that I had free, I would dedicate that energy to resting as much as I could and writing.”  She’s clearly paid her dues as a NYC-based performer. “I’ve been playing in New York since I was 16, so I’ve definitely played at a lot of super sketchy bars, underage, with two people there. I’ve also played a lot of cocktail parties. It would be these massive beautiful parties and they’d put you in the corner at the piano and you’d be like “Why am I here?”

She Finally Quit Her Day Job Last Year

“I’m a horribly practical person, so I stayed at the day job for a very long time, because when you’re independent, you fund everything yourself.” As glamorous as lifestyle of waitress-by-day/singer-by-night sounds, VÉRITÉ had to take her final order “a little over a year ago” in order to concentrate on crafting more of these dreamy alt-pop tunes. “The project was taking off and I couldn’t fully dedicate myself to either [music and waitressing], so I was half-arsing both. And I made a decision to dedicate all of my time to music.” Did she surprise the unsuspecting customers with a farewell guerrilla gig at that restaurant? “Absolutely not. But I do go back to say hi to my managers sometimes. They’re great people.”

Truth Is In Her Name

“VÉRITÉ is directly translated from French: it means 'truth,'" the singer explains. "When I started that project I wanted a clean slate. The more ambiguous definition is to represent a candid reality.” Does it mean all of her lyrics are true? “Oh, yeah, totally. They all super personal and representative of my mind, which is hyper-analytical and contradictory sometimes. It’s just kind of trying to figure things out.”

Her New EP is Called 'Living'

It was released on May 6 and was recorded with the same people who had sprinkled magic pop-dust all over the records of Charli XCX, MS MR, Betty Who and Banks. “I think living is complicated," she admits. "There are a lot of nuances and confusing moments. I think this EP is about navigation: how to navigate the highs and the lows while also trying to find the meaning.” Did she eventually find the meaning while making this record? “No. We’re not there yet. For me it’s about pulling these tiny moment and hyper-analyzing and over-magnifying them. There’s definitely clarity and truth in this EP, but no solid wordily advice I can give afterwards. I don’t know if I’ll ever get there in my lifetime. But you can watch me try.”
 

She’s Got a Few Celebrity Crushes

Considering her new single is called “Constant Crush,” we had to find out what A-listers VÉRITÉ’s crushing on. “It’s between Robert Downey Jr. and Mandy Patinkin,” she reveals. Would she like to get them to star in her music video maybe? “Both of them, yes. I mean I would probably chose Robert Downey Jr., but Mandy’s definitely cute, too.”

She Writes When She Walks

“Ideas come to me everywhere. I’ve definitely written songs while waitressing, ‘cause I was so bored and in my own head. I write mostly when I walk.” Talking about her most proud moment as a songwriter, VÉRITÉ picks the title track of the new EP. “I’m really proud of 'Living.' I think it’s good [laughs]. I hope it’s good!”

Don’t Expect to Bump Into Her in a Club on a Friday Night

“Oh a perfect Friday night I would be at home eating kettle corn and watching a good movie.” No going out? “No, I’m like the most lame. I’m definitely a homebody. If I get a free Friday night, I’m gonna embrace it.”

She’s an Easy Date

One of her recent tweets reads: “corey. the random dude who brought me a jack and helped me change a tire. in love.” But what's a guy to do if there’s no flat tire in the picture? “I’m super easy to impress. Just don’t take me to a chain restaurant. I can’t eat at these places, they give me bad memories.” So is she a big foodie? “French fries is my favorite meal. I don’t eat them so much, because it’s not very healthy. Or a salad with so many things in it that’s it’s barely a salad anymore.”

She’s Got a Tour Coming Up

Her 12-date headlining tour kicks off on May 15 in Washington, DC. It’s called Underdressed, but looks like VÉRITÉ will keep her clothes on. “I'm absolutely not going to undress on stage”. But it’s still going to be exciting, don’t you worry. “We just re-did the live set. It’s gonna sound massive. I’m really excited to be playing on a consistent basis.” Does she get nervous when premiering the new music live? “At the time the tour stars I imagine it will be a joyful experience. Leading up to this I can’t think about it ‘cause I get nervous that nobody’s going to show up. But I love performing, meeting people and having that community there.”

We Love Her Hair

VÉRITÉ’s style is 50 shades of black, but it’s her windy blonde hair that cements her indie-pop style icon status. Apparently, it’s pretty easy to take care of, too. “I just get it colored once a year and I... brush it [laughs]. Word of advice: when you get highlights, have them paint them on, so when your hair grows out, you don’t have to re-highlight it. I can’t do anything with maintenance: if I do something, it has to hold for a very long time.”