Photo credits: Randy Vanderwood
Gig Alert: Dissonance is proud to help host the Favourite Girl Single Release / Album Launch Show on Friday, Sept. 6 at the fabulous Mixed Blood Theatre in Minneapolis. Get tickets, look for our resource table at the show and help Favourite Girl make their debut record!
Editor’s Note: Favourite Girl is the new musical project led by British songwriter Katy Vernon. Katy has been performing original melodic folk pop for over 25 years in the Twin Cities and UK. The new project builds upon her catchy songwriting and turns everything up to 11! Her almost exclusively female-powered rock band performs bold and exciting songs with a feminist and timeless approach, taking on the old boys music club and having fun with it. Favourite Girl gets audiences dancing, singing, and feeling empowered to be their truest selves. In this blog post, Katy talks about the new band and why she started it, and then invites her bandmates to share what the project means to them.
By Katy Vernon
The inspiration for Favourite Girl–both the band and our song by the same name–is the idea that everyone deserves to be somebody’s favourite (British spelling)! Even though I have been writing songs for most of my life and performing them since I was a teenager, I still fight imposter syndrome. I have battled insecurities for most of my life and still find myself feeling like I’m not a real musician somedays.
Then came along 2020 and a crisis of confidence beyond even my everyday struggles.
The year of COVID-19 and social lockdowns was such a watershed for everyone. I hesitate to even write about my professional and creative struggles during that time because it feels so insignificant alongside the heartbreaking tragedies of that time.
In March 2020, when all gigs were canceled, and all touring stopped, I fell into a depression that took a long time to recover from. I did my best to keep performing and did a series of home streaming concerts (I actually was named Acoustic Performer of the year by City Pages for these concerts) and performed several other online shows throughout the year. Then, in the summer of 2021, my band of 10 years—the Katy Vernon Band—reassembled to play several re-scheduled shows. Although it was exciting to finally get to play together again, it didn’t feel as natural or as energetic as it had previously. The momentum of our 2019 release “Suit of Hearts” had come and gone, and band members had begun exploring more of their own projects during the downtime. So it all ended, and although the band’s split wasn’t acrimonious, it was still sad and felt like a blow. I mourned the loss, did some soul searching about my role in the breakup, and fell back into some of the negative thought patterns that I had felt early in the pandemic. I felt like my timing was off and I would somehow age out of ever having the career I dreamed of. The music business doesn't have the best track record of being welcoming to a woman who is getting older, and that all played right into my existing insecurities that perhaps this chapter was closing for me and I should just give up.
After chatting with former and current bandmate Paul Odegaard and feeling his encouragement that this was just a temporary setback, I decided to channel some of this insecurity into my songwriting. That’s what I always do best when I am feeling big feelings, and it resulted in several empowering pop/rock anthems. Once Paul and I got together again and played through the new material we realized this new empowering outlook would be the driving force behind a whole new project.
Some of the lessons I have learned over my music career that I wanted to pass along with these songs are:
Don’t let anyone tell you that you have nothing to say.
Don’t practice music in your basement and wait until it’s perfect to get out there and share it.
Don’t let anyone tell you that you are too old or not pretty enough, or any of the awful messages we receive online and in society.
Just do it!
I have a pin on my ukulele strap that says, “Lord grant me the confidence of a mediocre white man,” and I try to embody that every time I write and play. I have held myself back and apologized for my own ambition for too long. Now I want to celebrate that and am inspired to write songs that make me feel better about myself, and hopefully translate that to the audience. I think there is power in a woman in her 50s having the most fun of her life and inviting others along for the party!
It’s such a privilege to have a band. I never take it for granted that people would climb onboard to play the songs I’ve written. I wanted to invite people to play in this band that would not only be fabulous musicians but represent female empowerment. I was writing songs that celebrate women, and it is important to me to also try to smash any notions of women being in competition with each other. The name Favourite Girl not only has fun with the idea of choosing to call yourself someone's favorite, but also underlines the idea of not being in competition with anyone else. We can all be someone’s favorite.
This is such a talented and, more importantly, supportive group of humans. I am really inspired by the wave of female bands in the Twin Cities and globally, and it’s exciting to be a part of that with a mostly female lineup. With that in mind, I thought it would be fun to interview my new band members and have them share a little about themselves. After all, this is a band, not a solo project.
Favourite Girl:
Katy Vernon - Ukulele/Vocals (center in photo above)
Barb Brynstad - Bass/Vocals (far left)
Allie Pikala - Lead Guitar/Vocals (second from right)
Alyse Emanuel - Drums/Vocals (second from left)
Paul Odegaard - Trumpet (far right)
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Editor’s Note: In the content that follows, Katy interviews three of her bandmates. Bassist Barb was not available at the time.
Katy: Allie, you have primarily been a bass player. What made you say yes to being a lead guitarist in this band?
Allie: I had a passing thought last fall: “Huh, it’d be cool to play lead guitar in a band.” Within weeks, my friend Alyse reached out to me asking if I’d be interested in joining a band with her as a lead guitarist. Wow! I’d just begun working on a creativity course called The Artist’s Way, which talks about saying yes to opportunities when the universe presents them. A logical (critical) part of me came up with some convincing reasons to say no, like “That sounds scary!” and “You don’t even have an electric guitar!” But I chose to follow my heart and my intuition, and take the leap into this new endeavor.
Katy: What excites you about playing with a new project?
Allie: I really enjoy being challenged to write guitar parts, which is very new for me. A lot of my experience transfers between instruments, but I’m still learning how to “think” like a guitarist. I really love the group dynamic in Favourite Girl. All of my bandmates are super encouraging and totally professional. I’m also at a point in my life where I’m finally feeling comfortable with who I am and what I like. This is the first time I’ve been in a band where I feel like I’m able to show up as a functional adult, which I’m just jazzed about!
Katy: Who is your favourite girl band?
Allie: Secret Someones! They are (were) a four-piece from New York who I saw open for Jukebox the Ghost probably about 10 years ago. They only released one album in 2015, but it still gets a lot of play from me. I love their harmonies and catchy pop sound!
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Katy: Alyse, you are in several bands; what made you say yes to being in this one?
Alyse: I said yes to this project after I heard the demos; the songwriting and instrumentation both really excited me. I am loving playing with ukulele and trumpet for the first time!
Katy: You came up through the She Rock camp community. What do you think the music scene feels like for young women starting out?
Alyse: I think the music scene is much more inclusive than it used to be, but you still get “good-for-a-girl” comments and such sometimes and it can be disheartening. The She Rock community really boosted my confidence, though, and has also helped so many women and non-binary folks enter the music scene on more equal footing, so it’s rare now to play on a bill with all men.
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Katy: Paul, how do you feel about being in a mostly female band?
Paul: I feel proud, excited, and grateful for Favourite Girl because the songwriting is great, the musicians are excellent, and the ways we create and collaborate are energizing. Those characteristics have everything to do with the people and our commitments to our craft as musicians and the vision of the band. That we are mostly female is also lovely!!
Katy: You have jokingly been referred to as the token male, does that impact how you feel about being a band member?
Paul: When Katy and I were dreaming of what was next for her and the batch of songs she was crafting, I was glad to be a friend, ally, sounding board, and cheerleader. She asked me if I would be involved as she assembled the group, and I was honored. I feel like a trusted teammate, not a token. We also have a great musical chemistry, and a long-history of creating together.
Katy: How has your relationship with Katy’s songs changed over the years?
Paul: The connection and creative trust Katy and I have for one another has grown organically over the course of (is it 13/14 years) of working together?! We first were part of Jim Walsh’s Mad Ripple band together, and when Katy returned to writing songs, I was grateful to be invited to record on that first effort. Since then, I became a full band member of her previous band, and now I feel like a great partner for her songs, always trying to elevate her voice and the idea. When I had the privilege of hearing early versions of these songs and jamming on them, I immediately felt connected to the empowering and determined aspect of the content, and so creating to fulfill that intent is super fun! It’s even better to do it with great people and my long-time pal, Katy!
Katy: What do you hope for this band to achieve?
Paul: I want to make great songs and records. I want to play inspiring, fantastic, spontaneous, joyful shows that build community. While I hope that Favourite Girl achieves world domination, I want to start by making great songs and a great record with friends. Let’s put out something excellent that we’re proud of—something that connects and inspires people.
Katy: Are there any aspects of this band that you feel allow you to grow as a musician?
Paul: The punky/rocking edge to some of the Favourite Girl songs is great application for the strength/brassy/brash aspects of the trumpet. Being a featured soloist always encourages me to push my limits, but the great rewarding aspect is playing with great players. Alyse and Barb are magnificent and groove so well. Allie’s creativity and our vibe to weave around and boost each other’s parts is a joy. Doing all that in service of the songs and Katy’s voice is just a hoot!
Katy: Who is your favourite girl band?
Paul: Mavis Staples above all!! (Lots of love and respect for Sheryl Crow and her writing. I love Haim and their bops. Maren Morris. Dolly. My kids and I jam to Olivia Rodrigo.)
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Contact info: Katyvernon@gmail.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/favouritegirlband/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/favouritegirlband/
Upcoming: Single Release / Album Launch - Friday, Sept. 6, Mixed Blood Theatre, Minneapolis. Doors 5:30pm. Music 6-9pm. Get tickets.
