Founded in June of 2024, Veracity Plant has had less than a year to establish themselves, yet are already making waves in the local scene. After the collapse of another local band, Swerv, lead vocalist Cole Pickley decided he wanted to do something new. Once meeting with his long-time friend and drummer, Ben Watts, and the former bassist of Swerv, Jesse Lazenby, the band was formed and wasted no time getting started. With intentions of coming off the bat as an all-original trio, and a first show requesting 45 minutes of music, writing was top priority from the start. Jesse, having already graduated high-school and working consistent late shifts, made it hard to practice more than twice a week for Ben and Cole who were still Juniors; however, using school lunch periods along with sending videos of new songs between rehearsals, the band had together a full 45 minutes of original music in just over a month. Gig-ready and eager to hit the stage, we now come to stage two of Veracity Plant’s journey. Band image is an essential part of a group’s identity, and Veracity Plant is no exception. With the mission of spreading awareness for genocides around the world, dressing in full military attire seemed a compelling option that connected both the band’s image and message. After establishing their esthetic, and rehearsing relentlessly, Veracity Plant took the stage for the first time August 2nd of the same year they formed. Sonically, the band draws from several pertinent influences. ’70s progressive rock such as Rush, Frank Zappa, King Crimson, and Jethro Tull combine with more modern prog acts such as Periphery, Dream Theater, Opeth, and TOOL drove the band towards creating rhythmically and harmonically complex music that would challenge them as both musicians and songwriters. Coupled with a love for noise rock and shoegaze, the band forged a unique and dense sound, truly establishing them as a one of a kind group. Today, Veracity Plant is still going strong and has an EP set to release in February of 2025. Their debut album already nearing completion, the band’s continued motivation has them moving up fast. Without a doubt, Veracity Plant is not a band to pass up on.

Email: veracityplantband@gmail.com