Chicago – I don’t know about you, but I love it when artists keep it real. When musicians let their emotions show on stage and aren’t afraid to be themselves, showing off their personalities, it makes them more accessible. VÉRITÉ did just that Monday night at Schubas, in Chicago.

Fans packed in tightly, glowing pink and purple from the luminous stage lights. Twenty-six year-old VÉRITÉ – born Kelsey Byrne – smiled radiantly and said, “Thanks for selling this shit out on a Monday night!” The room erupted with applause and whistles. One fan yelled, “Anything for you!”

Byrne has been steadily building a strong fan base since the independent artist released her debut EP Echo in 2014, with the single “Strange Enough” reaching number one on Hype Machine. Coming from a musical family, the New York native has been making music since childhood, learning piano as a kid and performing in a punk band as a young adult. During her early twenties, Byrne began collaborating with producer and drummer Elliot Jacobson; that’s when she took on the stage name VÉRITÉ, which is French for truth.

VÉRITÉ is hardworking and determined. She worked long hours at an Applebee’s in Times Square, paying for recording, production, etc. She hustled, pushing herself and her music to the limits, and eventually the internet and the music world noticed. See what I mean, this girl keeps it real!

And fans recognize this. Monday night’s sold-out show is a testimony to this. People of all ages and ethnicities showed up, singing and dancing. Up front, there wasn’t a fan to be seen who wasn’t singing along, word for word, to every song. A sea of cell phones were out, recording it all, as VÉRITÉ soulfully belted out songs like “Strange Enough” off Echo and “Constant Crush” and “Rest” from her most recent EP Living, which was produced by some big names in the pop world, including Stefan Graslund (Charli XCX), Tim Anderson (BANKS), and Peter Thomas (Betty Who).

“Underdressed” slowed things down a bit. Fans swayed back and forth, emotionally singing along with Byrne. “Wasteland” – from the 2015 EP Sentiment – was perhaps the favorite of the night, with fans clapping along to the beat and jumping around. As I watched fans reacting and VÉRITÉ just absolutely killing it on stage, I was taken back in time, to watching Ellie Goulding perform when she was just starting out. VÉRITÉ – who one might classify as Ellie Goulding meets Lorde – has it in her to be the next pop super star, selling out arenas, topping charts, and piling up nominations and awards.

Shortly after her fabulous cover of Childish Gambino’s “Sober,” VÉRITÉ found herself engulfed in screams and applause. The deafening cheers had my ears ringing. A shocked VÉRITÉ smiled and turned her back to the crowd, as she fought to hold back tears. Unsuccessful, she wiped her face dry. She finally collected herself and began talking to the audience about watching Meghan Trainor cry during her Grammy win, recalling her mother telling her shortly after, “If you ever win a Grammy and start crying, I’m going to disown you.” Laughter spread through the room. VÉRITÉ said, “Let’s give it up for Joan!”

Yes, let us applaud Joan for raising a remarkable, talented woman, who works hard, keeps it real, and doesn’t hold back. Let us thank Joan for gifting us with the world’s newest pop star: VÉRITÉ.

VÉRITÉ is on tour now. A list of tour dates can be found on her Facebook page. Living is available for purchase on iTunes.

Photography by Sarah Hess for Best New Bands. Follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.

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Sarah Hess

At the age of six, Sarah Hess discovered True Blue by Madonna. This resulted in her spending hours in front of the bathroom mirror with a hairbrush microphone, belting out "La Isla Bonita" off key. Her love for music only intensified over the years thanks to her parents; her mother exposed Sarah to The Jackson Five and had her hustling to the Bee Gees, while her father would play her albums like 'Pet Sounds' and 'Some Girls' from start to finish, during which he'd lecture on and on about the history of rock & roll. Sarah would eventually stumble upon rap and hip-hop, then punk and alternative, and fall madly in love with Jeff Buckley and film photography.

After attending The School of the Art Institute in Chicago, Sarah went on to study education at Dominican University, earning a degree in history. When not teaching, writing, or taking in a show, she is most likely to be found with a camera to her eye or hanging out in a darkroom.


You can follow Sarah Hess on twitter at @Sarahhasanh and view her music photography on her website: smhimaging.com.

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