Young, charming, and prosperous -- Los Angeles native Veronica Bianqui has created a buzz in the City of Angels and is ready to break free from the comforts of home.
Prior to her Sept. 28 Casbah show, I spoke with the future garage-pop icon over the phone while she was running errands for a music video. Her bubbly tone paralleled her aquatic and spunky '60s-inspired songs. However, she only has three tracks up on her Bandcamp page, so I asked Bianqui where the full-length was.
“Good question,” she said. “Right now, I’m just self-releasing the new single, 'Victim,' as well as one that will come out in a couple of months. I’m going to wait for the right label, or even just self-release it. I’m in a transition period, I’m kind of just testing the waters, so to speak.”
“Victim” stops and punches with Bianqui’s lively vocals shouting out over the chorus: “I'm breaking out into the cold, to chase the sun, to shake these clouds from around my soul.” So vibrant and catchy on the surface, yet the three-minute ditty confronts a serious issue -- 100 percent of the single’s earnings go toward the Harm Reduction Coalition, which lends a helping hand to people struggling with addiction.
“My sister passed away," Bianqui told me. "It was a topic I cared about because she struggled. It just gave me that extra motivation to help other people and see what money I can raise for that. I plan, early next year, to do a benefit show of some sorts for a local LA organization.”
So the singer-songwriter has a few singles, a full-length album floating in limbo and is taking her music outside of LA for the first time (she previously played the Til Two Club as a member of surf-psych band the Blank Tapes). What is the goal for the up-and-coming artist?
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“The goal is to be a full-time musician," Bianqui explained. "Get this album out, release another album and start touring, really. This San Diego show and these next few shows are really our first time playing out of town -- it’s kind of the beginning. We’re ready to take it to the next level and start doing longer tours, Europe and stuff. Just take it as far as it can go! We have exciting things coming up and people who are interested, so I feel like we’re at a good point and I’m ready to move forward. I’m super excited!”
Veronica Bianqui plays the Casbah on Thursday, Sept. 28, with Lauren Ruth Ward and Vista Kicks. Tickets are available online here.
Musician, people-pleaser, lover, fighter and writer Matthew Craig Burke has been spewing musical words of wisdom since never. He lives off of peanut butter sandwiches, beer and Beck Hansen. Follow his updates on Facebook or contact him directly.
