Verity Credit Union’s Truth Series: Naomi Wachira
All around the Pacific Northwest, community goes hand-in-hand with music. A region’s state of culture can usually be determined by how robust its music and arts scene is, and in that respect, Pacific Northwest culture boasts some of the finest in the country. You practically can’t walk two blocks around these parts without stumbling across at least three worthwhile local acts, whether they’re found in a locally-owned music store, at one of the many reputable venues in our region, or simply on the street busking. Good local music comes in many shapes and sizes, spanning multiple genres and mixes of influences.
An exploration into our deep music culture led Verity Credit Union to put together an ambitious series in which they tap into that creative community with an array of commercials that highlight some of the most talented musical acts that this part of the country has to offer. Six esteemed local performers have partnered with Verity to perform their own take on a commercial, and the artists expressed themselves in their respective styles that have made them beloved hometown heroes. This is just the beginning, however, as Verity intends to do plenty more partnered commercials from worthwhile local acts to follow in the future.
“At Verity, we care about the communities where we have branches, and Seattle has a rich history with art and music,” said Melina Young, Director of Marketing and Brand at Verity Credit Union. “Instead of using stock music and imagery, we feature great local talent in our branding to help ‘all ships rise together’ for a true win-win experience that sets us apart in financial services.”
Between Fly Moon Royalty and their sensual alternative R&B stylings, The Gods Themselves with their raw, down-and-dirty psych-rock, Red Jacket Mine with their bouncy, jangly indie pop, and Jupe Jupe with their Britpop-esque, it’s safe to say Verity chose wisely with their picks for this batch of commercials. Also, it’s no secret that Seattle and the greater northwest are bursting at the seams with singer-songwriters at the moment, and some of our favorites happen to be in the Verity series, whether it’s 50 Bands in 50 Days finalists The Banner Days with their larger-than-life, borderline-gospel approach to roots and folk music or recent Northwest Music Month finalist Naomi Wachira with her stripped-down, emotionally charged blues.
We see the driving force behind Verity’s “Verity Means Truth” campaign as an exciting and original way to celebrate local music, and we try to never pass up a chance to talk about our home-grown favorites so let’s talk about some the acts in this fantastic series. At the tail-end of this article, you’ll find one of the commercials that Naomi Wachira did for the Verity series and she’s been on our radar for the last few years.
Once declared “Best Folk Singer in Seattle,” Naomi Wachira is a local musician with quite the pedigree. Wachira has been writing and recording music under her own name for a handful of years, and her discography includes two EPs and a self-titled full length debut, released early in 2014 to unanimous critical praise. She’s also a renowned live performer, performing at such prestigious local events as Bumbershoot 2014 and the 2014 outing of the Madaraka Festival.
A Seattle-via-Kenya native, Wachira’s approach to folk music is doubly soulful and accessible in nature. With a slight world music edge to her arrangements and performances, Wachira’s songs take pretty clear influence from bluesy folk singer-songwriters like Tracy Chapman, and in the live setting, her performances are beautifully intimate and impassioned. It’s easy to lose yourself in what Naomi brings to the table; there’s no one else around here doing what she’s doing quite how she does it.
For more info on Naomi Wachira, find her at Facebook and follow her on Twitter.
