Just entering her teens, powerhouse vocalist Veda has amassed a quarter-billion views on TikTok in less than six months by performing duets of popular songs, from Carrie Underwood to Slipknot, with her dad, Saliva frontman Bobby Amaru. Their duets got props from John Cooper (Skillet), Mike Shinoda (Linkin Park), Lacey Sturm (Flyleaf), and Jared Leto (Thirty Seconds to Mars), who reached out to express support for the father-daughter team, even asking them to cover more of their songs.
As users must be at least age 13 to have a Tik Tok account, all the duo’s videos were posted on Bobby’s account, which now has over 2 million followers. Their cover of Evanescence’s “Bring Me Back to Life” has 75 million views alone. Veda is now parlaying that viral success into a solo career.
Fueled by acceptance and not chasing popularity, Veda’s first single, “Wannabe Me,” was co-written by the teenager. Serving as a follow up to that single, the anthemic new single “I Breakdown”, is paired with a dramatic and cinematic visual, directed by Wombat Fire.
On the new single, Veda shares “‘I Breakdown’ is one of my favorite songs that I’ve done. It’s about someone going through changes and not coping well with them. Wanting something more or a guiding hand. Sometimes we hold things in for too long and forget that it’s ok to express who we are through our feelings”.
LISTEN TO “I BREAKDOWN” HERE
Despite her hard rock family roots, Veda is more drawn to pop-rock. “I feel like that’s really me,” she says of a stylistic vocal range in the vein of Amy Lee, Olivia Rodrigo and Avril Lavigne.
Signed to Judge & Jury Records, founded by producer Howard Benson and Three Days Grace’s Neil Sanderson, Veda’s original songs are carefully selected to touch on topics that appeal to any age.
Veda’s dad Bobby Amaru adds, “We had conversations. I wanted her to own the lyrics and really connect with them, since it is her music and people’s first introduction to her original songs. I think we picked some great ones.”
Recording her own music, with Benson producing, Veda continues, “I’ve learned so much. I’ve gotten much better at singing and working in the studio. “I’ve always looked up to my dad with music and always went to concerts. I knew that music was what I was really good at and that’s what I want to do.”
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