{"id":27,"date":"2013-01-02T14:16:08","date_gmt":"2013-01-02T14:16:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/katyvernon.com\/?page_id=27"},"modified":"2025-09-30T14:26:28","modified_gmt":"2025-09-30T14:26:28","slug":"press","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/katyvernon.com\/?page_id=27","title":{"rendered":"News and Reviews"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Favourite Girl <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>&#8220;I&#8217;ve been wanting to catch veteran Minnesota artist Katy Vernon&#8217;s new group and I&#8217;m glad I did. A woman\/femme-forward rock band that manages to be defiant, optimistic and empowering all at once.<\/em><strong>&#8220;<\/strong><strong>Adventures In Americana Blog.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201c<em>2025 brings new changes, and along with those changes brings a new layer of creativity to Katy Vernon and a new project that folds in Daisy Forester, Alyse Emanuel, Allie Pikala, Barb Brynstad, and Paul Odegaard. \u201cNot Going Back\u201d spins off subtle, catchy indie rock melodies, while redefining what it means to be woman as we cross the threshold into mid-decade. Favourite Girl has evolved with emphasis on electric guitar and divine female voices. Vernon\u2019s lyrical style and caustic wit stings, surprises, and delights<\/em>.\u201d <strong>MSP Magazine.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Minneapolis St. Paul MagazineBest new song <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/mspmag.com\/arts-and-culture\/mn-playlist-january-2025\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/mspmag.com\/arts-and-culture\/mn-playlist-january-2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Not Going Back\u201d by Favourite Girl<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-mostly-minnesota wp-block-embed-mostly-minnesota\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"iWGjIQovBd\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mostlyminnesota.com\/2024\/08\/15\/5-questions-with-katy-vernon-on-favourite-girls-single-video-release-at-mixed-blood-on-sep-6\/\">5 Questions with Katy Vernon on Favourite Girl&#8217;s single\/video release at Mixed Blood on Sep&nbsp;6<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;5 Questions with Katy Vernon on Favourite Girl&#8217;s single\/video release at Mixed Blood on Sep&nbsp;6&#8221; &#8212; Mostly Minnesota\" src=\"https:\/\/mostlyminnesota.com\/2024\/08\/15\/5-questions-with-katy-vernon-on-favourite-girls-single-video-release-at-mixed-blood-on-sep-6\/embed\/#?secret=NbWm41pp7X#?secret=iWGjIQovBd\" data-secret=\"iWGjIQovBd\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.musicinminnesota.com\/favourite-girl\/\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.musicinminnesota.com\/favourite-girl\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Music In Minnesota interview 6\/3\/24<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/minnesota\/video\/lowertown-sounds-brings-fresh-music-to-mears-park\/\">WCCO tv interview and solo song 6\/4\/24<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecurrent.org\/feature\/2025\/01\/07\/10-minnesota-musicians-kicking-off-2025-with-new-music\">The Scouting Report  &#8211; The Current. 10 Minnesota Musicians kicking off 2025 with new music<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/dissonance.org\/blog\/favouritegirl\">Introducing your new Favourite Girl<\/a> &#8211; Dissonance Blog<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Katy Vernon Press<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Best Acoustic Performer &#8211; City Pages 7\/25\/2020 &#8211; Katy Vernon. <\/strong>&#8220;Thanks to certain twee performers, the ukulele has been unfairly written off as a novelty instrument in recent years. But Katy Vernon uses the little modern-day lute as the basis of her songwriting, taking advantage of how it sounds within her band\u2019s folk-rock arrangements. And on last year\u2019s excellent Suit of Hearts, Vernon proved the uke was a more-than-adequate instrument for songs about weighty subjects like the death of her mother and her own sobriety. An indefatigable live performer, Vernon\u2019s kept up her pace in the pandemic era as well, as one of the early adapters to livestream concerts.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.startribune.com\/minnesota-s-10-best-albums-of-2019-so-far-from-j-s-ondara-to-nur-d\/512181452\"><strong>Suit Of Hearts &#8211; Minnesota&#8217;s 10 best albums of 2019 so far<\/strong> &#8211; <strong>Star Tribune<\/strong>.<\/a> &#8220;Dramatic, cliff-pondering folk-rock. It\u2019s a triumphant, feel-good record with wistful music to match&#8221; The ambitious third album by this London-reared, Minnesota-married singer\/songwriter offers a lot more than lighthearted, softly strummed living-room folk, including the title track\u2019s galloping orchestral-pop vibe and the full-on disco groove of \u201cLatest Disaster.\u201d It\u2019s a pretty deep set lyrically, too, as Vernon revisits her Welsh roots and late mom\u2019s shadow in \u201cSomebody\u2019s Daughter\u2019s Daughter\u201d; wrestles with being a parent herself through \u201cIn Your Shoes\u201d; and does her own bit of growing up toward a healthier, happier lifestyle \u2014 one befitting a ukulele singer. &#8211; <strong>Chris Riemenschneider &#8211; Star Tribune. <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Intimate and unguarded, the songs on \u201cSuit of Hearts\u201d transform sad memories into happier moments&#8221;. <strong>Erik Thompson &#8211; City Pages<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;The songs on the album deal with sadness and regret, but when you listen, you hear a woman also finding strength and opening doors to a brighter future.&#8221; <strong>Colleen Cowie<\/strong>, <strong>Minnesota Public Radio.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSuit of Hearts, the title song, has the biting irony of a Lily Allen, the key change of a Brandi Carlisle and the unique almost falsetto voice of Katy. The lyrics speak to the everyday hero, carrying on and both appreciating the heroes around us and within us.\u201d <strong>Ann Treacy &#8211; Mostly Minnesota.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>NATIONAL PRESS &#8211; Suit Of Hearts: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSuit of Hearts is a complex, multidimensional album that defies easy description. The sounds range from pop to country, and Vernon\u2019s sweet voice ties it all together\u201d. <strong>Americana Highways 5\/16\/19.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cVernon\u2019s unique vocal performance matched with her ukulele and excellent songwriting makes for a sound which is truly blissful. We have not heard an album which is as unique<br>and as characterful as this in a long time\u201d. &#8211; <strong>FV Reviews<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s rare to come across an album so consistently delightful. However, \u2018delightful\u2019 is the only appropriate word to describe Vernon\u2019s Suit of Hearts. Yes, she could have easily become a blues singer, based upon her difficult familial upbringing. But she didn\u2019t. Rather, she\u2019s one that\u2019s learned to find joy, and expresses this joy through music\u201d <strong>-Skope Magazine<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cVernon\u2019s new album titled Suit of Hearts is an emotionally-charged musical journey with a refreshing sound. Suit of Hearts consists of twelve tracks. Coupled by the musical craftiness of her band, Vernon has put together a very soulful work. Tracks, like Listen and Look To The Sea, are great examples of Vernon\u2019s creative range and inventiveness. Vernon\u2019s voice has an enchanting flare that is sure to capture audiences. Suit of Hearts excels as an album for its<br>innovative qualities musically and profound lyrical content\u201d. &#8211;<br><strong>Warlock Asylum<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\">International<\/b> <strong>Press<\/strong> &#8211; <strong>Suit Of Hearts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Suit of Hearts <\/strong> &#8211;  The title of Katy Vernon\u2019s new album is in tune with her personality. Katy donates her vulnerabilities into her music. In both life and art this English girl in Minnesota wears her hearts on her sleeves, shoulders and lapels as her generous emotional bequest to the craft of songwriting is absorbed absolutely into her creativity. Brought to life through the wonders of Kickstarter, Katy\u2019s new album begins by sonically beckoning us to indulge in some stadium hand claps while the harmonised vocal line reaches out to the audience in both tempo and <a class=\"pxInta\" href=\"#\" id=\"PXLINK_3_0_3\">message<\/a>. It is an incredibly strong <a class=\"pxInta\" href=\"#\" id=\"PXLINK_2_0_2\">start<\/a> to the album, an invitation to <a class=\"pxInta\" href=\"#\" id=\"PXLINK_1_0_1\">invest<\/a> your attention. Listen introduces a gorgeous string arrangement atop some booming toms, another terribly tenacious vocal line and a pinch of melancholic muted trumpet. A more buoyant In Your Shoes follows as it chugs along to a country beat as Home dallies into the Blues and Latest Disaster then flings us into the nearest 70\u2019s discotheque. This is a diverse album then. Katy\u2019s skillful vocals are splendid throughout, honest and true, gluing these varied genres together to produce a traditional album package; a <a class=\"pxInta\" href=\"#\" id=\"PXLINK_0_0_0\">complete<\/a> body of work. Her skill as a songwriter is dazzling with scarcely a heart covered foot is put wrong. Chord structure, melody, rhythm, structure and feel are pretty impeccable and I genuinely cannot remember the last time an album filled me with such admiration for the writing prowess behind it. The orchestration too is triumphant, building on the ukulele kernel with well written lines and dozens of little nibbles of studio perfection. The well-placed snare roll in Catch Myself, the dextrous Hammond solo of Pink Cloud or the key twisting seventh chords of Somebody\u2019s Daughter\u2019s Daughter; a wonderfully meandering song that never derails and puts me in mind of the fabulous Rilo Kiley. One feels this album was made with utter devotion to every beat and syllable. I expected this CD to be rather good but \u201cSuit Of Hearts\u201d has genuinely moved me and my appreciation, indeed admiration of Katy Vernon has rocketed through the proverbial roof. It is perhaps the most comprehensively impressive album it has been my fortune to review for this splendid magazine and I sincerely hope the rest of the world sits up sharply, takes a deep breath and embraces this colossal talent into their hearts. <strong>Mike Flaherty &#8211; Uke Magazine. May 2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Suit Of Hearts names Ukulele Album of the year by Uke Magazine. 2019.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/coolcatukes.com\/m_191007_katyvernon.shtml\"><strong>Katy Vernon &#8211; Suit Of Hearts &#8211;  Cool Cat Ukes Review<\/strong><br><\/a><br>Katy&#8217;s a good friend of Cool Cat Ukes. We first met at GNUF in 2017, Katy was taking a long UK tour and came to the festival as well as unplugthewood. She&#8217;s a prolific songwriter (and ABBA fan). She&#8217;s British, but lives in the US where this album was produced. I think some of that adventure has contributed to this album. To be fair, this is not a typical ukulele album, although Katy leads with uke and vocals, it&#8217;s more a ballad\/pop album. Impeccably produced, there are drums, bass guitar, keyboards, strings (a proper string quartet, to boot) to fill the audio field. But, Katy&#8217;s controlled voice and heartfelt lyrics are always at the fore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Katy performs many of these songs as a solo act with a uke, but this performance is a lot more relaxed with the support of the other instruments. It works very, very well, but don&#8217;t let that take anything away from Katy as a live solo act though. She&#8217;s a full-time musician performing solo, with a band and also with her ABBA tribute act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Pink Cloud&#8221; is so upbeat, to me it&#8217;s about living the moment, bright, breezy and catchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Latest Disaster&#8221; could be an ABBA song, it&#8217;s got that beat, and the little background synthesiser riffs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;re a slide guitar\/lap steel fan, &#8220;Undertow&#8221; uses that to great effect giving sweeping currents of that undertow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Somebody&#8217;s Daughter&#8217;s Daughter&#8221; brings the ukulele back to the front. Like so many of these songs, I&#8217;m sure it has a story based in Katy&#8217;s life, but I&#8217;m sure that we can all interpret it the way we want to to fit it to our own. Beautiful.<br>The reprise of &#8220;Listen&#8221; is next, just with the strings and uke. Stripped down, I do prefer this to the other version, so much detail, you can get lost in it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To finish, there&#8217;s a jolly Christmas song &#8211; &#8220;Christmas Wish&#8221;. There you go, this album would make a great Christmas present!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The album as a CD is a tri-fold with all of the lyrics, so you can either sing along, or simply unravel Katy&#8217;s thoughts with your interpretation. Katy quotes Alice In Wonderland &#8220;I can&#8217;t go back to yesterday because I was a different person then.&#8221; One of my favourite books of logical reasoning. It all makes more sense than you can imagine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For the great songs, great vocals, great production and presentation, this album gets a Cool Cat Ukes Recommended Album Award. It&#8217;s an album you can play when you have non-ukulele visitors, and you won&#8217;t have to apologise or explain at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The album&#8217;s available as a CD (I recommend this for the sleeve notes), but as download, on a heart shaped USB stick as well as other merch. Start at www.katyvernon.com for everything. We also interviewed Katy back in June 2019, where she explains more about what she does.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>More Reviews for &#8216;Suit Of Hearts&#8217;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>REVIEW: Katy Vernon Releases The Beautifully Complex \u2018Suit Of Hearts\u2019<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/americanahighways.org\/2019\/05\/16\/katy-vernon-releases-the-beautifully-complex-suit-of-hearts\/\">:\/\/americanahighways.org\/2019\/05\/16\/katy-vernon-releases-the-beautifully-complex-suit-of-hearts\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/americanahighways.org\/category\/reviews\/\">Reviews&nbsp;<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/americanahighways.org\/2019\/05\/16\/katy-vernon-releases-the-beautifully-complex-suit-of-hearts\/\">May 16, 2019<em>&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/em><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/americanahighways.org\/author\/gary-schwind\/\">Gary Schwind<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/americanahighways.org\/2019\/05\/16\/katy-vernon-releases-the-beautifully-complex-suit-of-hearts\/#respond\">0<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Katy Vernon is a singer-songwriter who was born in London and currently lives in Minnesota. Of her new album&nbsp;<em>Suit of Hearts<\/em>, Vernon says, \u201cmost ambitious project I\u2019ve done so far musically, it is also deeply rooted in mental health and sobriety.\u201d Whatever the subject matter, it doesn\u2019t take long to figure out that this album is hard to pin down. If someone were to ask you \u201cWhat do you get when you add horns, ukulele, and spacey slide guitar to 90s pop?\u201d you might expect a punchline. You\u2019d be waiting a while because the title track of this album sounds like what would happen if&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/Z8PuE0bo4P8\">The Darling Buds<\/a>&nbsp;added all of those elements to one of their tunes. Kind of a saloon piano sound in \u201cIn Your Shoes\u201d along with some alt-country guitar sound. The more you listen to this album, the harder it is to describe the songs. \u201cHome\u201d has a little twang in the guitar courtesy of Clay Williams. The ukulele gives a bit of an exotica feel, while the trumpet part by Paul Odegaard gives the song just a tinge of Latin flavor. \u201cCatch Myself\u201d is a song that sounds ready-made for country radio especially with the strings by the Laurel String Quartet. It is a sweet, pensive song in which Vernon reveals, \u201cKept thinking someone else would save me.\u201d It\u2019s easy to imagine this being one of those songs that you hear wherever you go. \u201cUndertow\u201d is a song that begins with some spacey twang. There are a lot of layers to this song from Simon Husbands\u2019s poppy piano part that brings to The Beatles (\u201cIn My Life\u201d) to mind to the lonesome sound of the pedal steel. It is as complex and pretty as the other songs on the album. If you think it\u2019s never too early to get into the Christmas spirit, you\u2019re in luck. This album closes with \u201cChristmas Wish\u201d. Like the other songs, this one has a lot of layers: pedal steel, trumpet, and what sounds like vibraphones. Vernon sings about how her Christmas wish will never come true, but somehow she doesn\u2019t sound quite as sad as a lot of singers do in sad Christmas songs. Suit of Hearts is a complex, multidimensional album that defies easy description. The sounds range from pop to country, and Vernon\u2019s sweet voice ties it all together. Suit of Hearts will be available everywhere on May 17.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p> honestly don\u2019t remember how I got connected with Katy Vernon on social media but I\u2019m thankful for the connection. Her posts are about strength and being positive through crappy situations. Open about her soberness, she instantly became one of those people I became tied to without even meeting and when her \u2018Suit of Hearts\u2019 album landed a spot in my box of albums to review, I was super excited to get to know this amazing woman a bit more through her music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The title track \u201cSuit of Hearts\u201d kicks things off and I was instantly captivated. A spacey intro with just simple strumming of a guitar, Katy\u2019s voice kicks in with a sense of ABBA meets any of the best singer-songwriters out there. It\u2019s upbeat but not over the top\u2013 the perfect soundtrack to my Saturday morning. Seamless key changes that are matched by Katy\u2019s unbelievable vocal talent, this may have only been the first song of the album but I may or may not have listened to it on repeat a couple of times just trying to catch everything this song has.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cListen\u201d brings a sense of coziness into play. There\u2019s something warm and layered about this track but still something fun and uplifting which seems to be Katy\u2019s forte. The tempo slows for this song but that just gives you more of a chance to catch everything that Katy brings to the table vocally. Words are drawn out to the perfect length and the backing band, although professional and clearly having a place and meaning for every note, seems to sit back and just let Katy\u2019s voice do the work. \u201cListen\u201d turns into \u201cIn Your Shoes (For Daisy)\u201d in a beautiful way where you barely catch the track change but you can hear a new song. Now, being the creeper I am on Facebook, I\u2019m pretty sure that Daisy is one of her beautiful daughters but, even if you aren\u2019t a Facebook creep, it\u2019s not hard to come to that realization. This track is a beautiful song with meaningful lyrics. At face value, it\u2019s a story about being a team with your daughter but that message can be applied to so many different situations making this track one of my favorites on the album.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The album continues with \u201cHome\u201d which is a bit of a bluesy track just proving the range in which Katy write and performs. Like the rest of the songs on this twelve song album, there are certain words and phrases that just hit me right in the feels. \u201cI might be wandering but I am never lost.\u201d I mean, come on, such simple words strung together in the most complex and heartfelt phrase. Much like Katy\u2019s voice is a star on this album, so are her words and envy her talent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cLatest Disaster\u201d is another stand out track on this album. Again, due to Facebook stalking (I promise it\u2019s not creepy, I just adore this woman), I know that Katy is very involved with an ABBA cover band and you can definitely hear that in this track. \u201cLatest Disaster\u201d has a hurried pace about it that has yet to be seen on the previous four songs but it still feels like it fits the puzzle perfectly. Just when you get in the mood to watch Mamma Mia for the thousandth time, \u201cCatch Myself\u201d calms you down with that sense of coziness that was introduced with \u201cListen\u201d. The way the album goes from hurried and energetic to cozy and calm is something that not many musicians and bands can pull off but Katy does it without hesitation or regret. Intentional or not, it is absolutely brilliant and makes this an album that you could listen through a million times and still not get sick of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The way \u201cLook to the Sea\u201d seems to start off with a bit&nbsp; samba vibe to it seems to come out of left field but, again, still works with the quirkiness of this album in the best way possible. Something about \u201cLook to the Sea\u201d has a very musical quality to it. The words tell a story and the music makes you want to move but it\u2019s far from campy. If I had to pick one track on this album to show people a good example of Katy\u2019s music, it would be this one. So distinct yet so familiar, it\u2019s truly Katy in a song. The high energy laid out in \u201cLook to the Sea\u201d continues into \u201cPink Cloud\u201d. A very happy-go-lucky vibe came over me as she repeated the words \u201cI\u2019m happy\u201d multiple times each time building the emotion to a high point that has nowhere to go other than spilling from my speakers and into my life. Thank you Katy for the vibe that this song drenched my apartment with. This is yet another track on the album that I listened to multiple times before moving onto \u201cUndertow\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cUndertow\u201d slows things back down but I wasn\u2019t surprised. Again, this album is all about highs and lows and the way Katy does it is something to truly envy. Out of all of the tracks on the album, this one seems to have the most of that classic singer-songwriter vibe to it but, even then, there\u2019s nothing typical about it. When you read the lyrics to this song, it\u2019s clearly about struggle but that doesn\u2019t quite translate to the music. Some people may hate this but I absolutely adore this. Although the lyrics are about a fight against the \u201ctide\u201d, you really don\u2019t hear that struggle with the way Katy sings it. In my mind, that symbolized a win against the \u201ctide\u201d and a beautiful way to express struggle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSomebody\u2019s Daughter\u2019s Daughter\u201d goes back to that classic singer-songwriter vibe but something about the band sticks out a bit more on this track. Maybe it was just that I had finally gotten used to Katy\u2019s voice and her amazing way of sliding from note to note with a sense of ease and emotion but it\u2019s clear that she has the more perfect band behind her on this album. From the laid back drums to the subtle lap steel throughout the album, every note has a place and never overpowers anything else. Seriously a thing of perfection. Just to prove that point, the album moved into a strictly string and vocal version of \u201cListen\u201d. With Katy\u2019s ukulele taking the spotlight, she proves that she is so much more than just a great singer and songwriter, she\u2019s a true musician and that\u2019s something I completely love about her. The difference between this version and the second track of the album with the full band is not huge but it\u2019s big enough that this felt like a whole new song (which I thought it was until I looked at the track listing).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although it\u2019s late August and I\u2019m a Jew, I didn\u2019t mind the album closing out on \u201cChristmas Wish\u201d. The playful track was the perfect ending to an already amazing album and, although a Christmas song, there was something summery about it. Think Christmas in Hawaii, I don\u2019t care what month it is or what holiday I celebrate, I\u2019ll be blasting this song every chance I get.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2018Suit of Hearts\u2019 is a truly amazing album that can fit any mood you might be feeling. Mix that with the fact that Katy Vernon seems to just be one of those genuinely amazing and positive people and you are left with an album that is damn near flawless. What a great way to spend my Saturday morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My Favorite Track(s): \u201cIn Your Shoes (For Daisy)\u201d; \u201cPink Cloud\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tunedloud.com\/2019\/05\/16\/katy-vernon-suit-of-hearts-an-exquisite-listening-experience\/\">tunedloud REVIEW<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/girlattherockshows.com\/2019\/08\/24\/album-review-katy-vernon-suit-of-hearts\/\">Girl At The Rock Show<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/fvreviews.com\/2019\/05\/07\/katy-vernon-suit-of-hearts\/\">&nbsp;<strong>FV Reviews (album review) 5\/7\/19 <\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2018Suit of Hearts\u2019 is the divine new release by Katy Vernon. This 12 track album has become a \u2018go to\u2019 on our playlist and it is most definitely a force to be reckoned with. Her original sound makes her stand out from the crowd and Vernon is most certainly a master of her craft.Suit of Hearts\u2019 has elements which are sent from the heavens. Vernon\u2019s unique vocal performance matched with her ukulele and excellent songwriting makes for a sound which is truly blissful. We have not heard an album which is as unique and as characterful as this in a long time. The album opens with the title track, \u2018Suit Of Hearts\u2019. First, we hear a feedback opening with claps to keep the beat, strings and horns. The horns are a special element which features heavily on this album. They are beautifully captivating. There are layers of depth and interest to be enjoyed throughout. We adored the songs, \u2018Home\u2019 for its Spanish vibe, superbly played guitar and luscious harmonies. \u2018Listen\u2019 is a wonderful track, its opening sounds like a wave sweeping across the audio spectrum. From the strings to the syncopated drums, each element has been carefully thought out and cared about. \u2018Latest Disaster\u2019 has a Lady Gaga feel to it. It has synths galore and is catchy with energetic high hats too. Parts of the album reminds us of, Panic! At the Disco\u2019s first album from 2005, \u2018A Fever You Can\u2019t Sweat Out\u2018. Its instrumentation and clever transitions between parts are always intriguing and engaging, this is often what is missing from new music. Katy Vernon\u2019s band are comprised of: Katy Vernon \u2013 Vocals, Guitar, Ukulele. Clay Williams \u2013 Guitar. Simon Husbands \u2013 Keys, Vocals. Chris McAtee \u2013 Drums. Reed Pagel \u2013 Bass. Paul Odegaard \u2013 Trumpet and Terry Isachsen \u2013 Guitar. There is no doubting the talent and skill which all of these players have in abundance. They create rhythms and melodies which are unexpected, innovative and constantly exciting. Any music lover will love this album. London Born artist Katy Vernon now resides in Minnesota. She is a formidable talent which is surely destined for very big things in this world. We can not recommend her fresh and talented sound enough. Make sure you check out this exciting release ASAP!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-wordpress wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-beach-sloth\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">https:\/\/www.beachsloth.com\/katy-vernon-suit-of-hearts.html<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Skope Magazine (album review) 5\/8\/19 By Dan MacIntosh<\/strong><a href=\"URL: https:\/\/skopemag.com\/2019\/05\/08\/new-album-released-by-katy-vernon-suit-of-hearts\">RL: https:\/\/skopemag.com\/2019\/05\/08\/new-album-released-by-katy-vernon-suit-of-hearts<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Publicity photos of Katy Vernon are a little deceptive. She\u2019s a pretty woman, sitting with a ukulele in hand. Therefore, one might rightfully expect her music to be stripped-down, old-fashioned ukulele-centered music. However, Vernon\u2019s album, Suit of Hearts, is quite a different thing, indeed. The album opens with its title track, which bursts out like an 80s U2 anthem. It\u2019s not just a cute girl merely strumming her ukulele happily. Instead, it\u2019s a full-bodied arrangement, featuring Spanish-inspired acoustic guitar strums and a horn section worthy of Johnny Cash\u2019s \u201cRing of Fire.\u201d The song includes a lyric filled with words of empowerment and encouragement. Vernon asserts that, even though a person may not save another\u2019s life, a life well-lived is still a worthwhile goal. \u201cLife is what happens,\u201d Vernon quotes John Lennon, \u201cwhen you\u2019re busy making other plans.\u201d Along the way, there\u2019s even a slide guitar solo. Thus, Vernon opens her album with a bang. all the joy exuded through her music, you\u2019d never easily notice how Vernon has had a difficult life. She lost both her parents young. Writing songs was one therapeutic way Vernon dealt with her loss. She\u2019s originally from London, but after meeting her future American husband on a train from Amsterdam to Berlin, she settled in St. Paul, MN. One song titled \u201cListen\u201d is given two distinctly different renditions. One, titled \u201cListen (Strings And Voice Mix)\u201d is just that, nothing more than Vernon\u2019s ukulele, a string section and the artist\u2019s vulnerable vocals. The other version is similarly transparent, but also includes a more solid rhythmic part with its drum fills. \u201cPink Cloud\u201d is the album\u2019s most joyous track. It\u2019s an upbeat declaration of happiness. In our increasingly cynical times, Vernon\u2019s overt thrill with life is so refreshing! The song includes cool organ and electric guitar solos. \u201cIt feels so right not to feel so wrong,\u201d she gushes. This is the song to play when you wake up with the blahs. Even one song that faces personal struggles, called \u201cUndertow,\u201d leaves the listener feeling comforted and hopeful. It\u2019s a slower, quieter number than \u201cPink Cloud,\u201d and includes some nice steel guitar. \u201cSomebody\u2019s Daughter\u2019s Daughter\u201d is one of the album\u2019s more stripped-down songs. It features nice, twangy electric guitar work. Best of all, the song\u2019s few other aural elements bring out the lovely quiver of Vernon\u2019s vocal. The only song that doesn\u2019t seem to fit quite right is \u201cChristmas Wish.\u201d Its jubilant vibe fits with Vernon\u2019s musical approach, but a Christmas song, on an otherwise non-Christmas release, is just a fish out of water. That\u2019s likely why she put it at the end of the recording. It\u2019s rare to come across an album so consistently delightful. However, \u2018delightful\u2019 is the only appropriate word to describe Vernon\u2019s Suit of Hearts. Yes, she could have easily become a blues singer, based upon her difficult familial upbringing. But she didn\u2019t. Rather, she\u2019s one that\u2019s learned to find joy, and expresses this joy through music. Besides, blues music and ukuleles don\u2019t go together well. Never have, never will. If Katy Vernon\u2019s Suit of Hearts doesn\u2019t put you on a pink cloud, it\u2019s likely nothing will.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Warlock Asylum (album review) 5\/10\/19<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/: https:\/\/warlockasyluminternationalnews.com\/2019\/05\/10\/suit-of-hearts-by-katy-vernon\/\"> https:\/\/warlockasyluminternationalnews.com\/2019\/05\/10\/suit-of-hearts-by-katy-vernon\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Katy Vernon\u2019s passion and artistic industriousness have established her as one of Minnesota\u2019s busiest musicians. Interestingly, this folk music diva was born and raised in London, UK. Vernon is very active in the music world. She performs in more than 50 shows a year and puts on an annual Uke Fest benefit to raise funds for charity. Vernon\u2019s new album titled Suit of Hearts is an emotionally-charged musical journey with a refreshing sound. Suit of Hearts consists of twelve tracks. Coupled by the musical craftiness of her band, Vernon has put together a very soulful work. Tracks, like Listen and Look To The Sea, are great examples of Vernon\u2019s creative range and inventiveness. Vernon\u2019s voice has an enchanting flare that is sure to capture audiences. Suit of Hearts excels as an album for its innovative qualities musically and profound lyrical content. For more info on Katy Vernon and her new album Suit of Hearts, please visit her website at https:\/\/katyvernon.com<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>In Studio Sessions:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Radio Heartland:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecurrent.org\/feature\/2019\/03\/21\/katy-vernon-performs-in-the-radio-heartland-studio\">https:\/\/www.thecurrent.org\/feature\/2019\/03\/21\/katy-vernon-performs-in-the-radio-heartland-studio<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Katy Vernon&#8217;s bio describes her as a &#8220;singer of sad songs with a happy instrument,&#8221; which is brilliant and accurate given Vernon writes and sings with a ukulele. But when you ask Vernon about that, she says, &#8220;Actually I am the happy instrument.&#8221; Suit of Hearts is Vernon&#8217;s new album, and it&#8217;s being released in concert this weekend at the Parkway Theater in Minneapolis. The songs on the album deal with sadness and regret, but when you listen, you hear a woman also finding strength and opening doors to a brighter future. I finally had the opportunity to meet Katy Vernon when she brought in her whole band to do some songs from the album live in the studio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Katy Vernon and her band in the Radio Heartland studio; L to R: Reed Pagel, bass; Paul Odegaard, trumpet; Katy Vernon, ukulele and vocals; Clay Williams, guitar; Chris McAtee &#8211; drums; Simon Husbands, keyboards. (Mike Pengra | MPR)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Songs Performed:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Undertow&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Catch Myself&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;In Your Shoes (For Daisy)&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Local Show:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecurrent.org\/feature\/2019\/03\/21\/katy-vernon-on-facing-fears-and-vulnerable-music\">https:\/\/www.thecurrent.org\/feature\/2019\/03\/21\/katy-vernon-on-facing-fears-and-vulnerable-music<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Katy Vernon isn&#8217;t satisfied with just wearing hear heart on her sleeve \u2014 so she stitched herself an entire suit of hearts. The singer-songwriter has always addressed personal themes in her music, often pairing dark lyrics with her cheerful signature instrument, the ukulele. On&nbsp;<em>Suit of Hearts<\/em>, Vernon addresses themes from confronting grief and finding confidence as a musician to rediscovering her family&#8217;s roots. Vernon wrote many of the album&#8217;s songs while traveling around the UK. Born and raised in South London, Vernon moved to Minnesota when she was 21. After feeling lost from juggling part-time jobs and disconnected from a sense of home, Vernon accepted an invitation to perform at two ukulele festivals in the UK, and spent the weeks between them on a solo tour. While there, she visited the hospice where her mother passed away, reconnected with a cousin she hadn&#8217;t seen in 30 years, and traveled alone for the first time. &#8220;That was so much of what that tour was about \u2014 just facing my fears,&#8221; said Vernon. Vernon is debuting&nbsp;<em>Suit of Hearts<\/em>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/theparkwaytheater.com\/all-events\/katy-vernon\">at the Parkway Theater this Saturday<\/a>. Ahead of the concert, she joined Andrea Swensson on the Local Show to talk about the journey that inspired her latest album and finding recovery in writing vulnerable music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Local Show interview, with Andrea Swensson:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Below is a partial transcription of their conversation. Click the player above to listen to the full interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>I have this impression that you have just poured your entire heart into this album; it seems very personal.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yeah, really personal. My songs always were personal, but I think other CDs that I&#8217;ve done, I&#8217;ve thought of them more of them as a setlist \u2014 which I enjoy, I don&#8217;t think there&#8217;s anything wrong in that. But this one was really like, &#8220;This is a story.&#8221; This is going to chronicle where I&#8217;ve been, where I&#8217;m at right now, and where I&#8217;m going, and really delve deep into what I was going through at the time \u2014 and songs written in real time. I&#8217;ve written sad songs about memories that have been with me, people in my life I miss, but this one was like, &#8220;I&#8217;m going through this right now, and I&#8217;m going to use this song to figure out how to get through it.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>You really get that sense from listening to it \u2014 that it&#8217;s a lot of processing, and perhaps catharsis as well.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I knew that I was going through heavy stuff, but I wanted to write a record to help me get through it, and hopefully show the possibilities that no matter how much you are facing in your life or how low you feel, I wanted to offer songs that show you can get out of that. Maybe you have to do that yourself, and obviously ask for help from the people around you. That was very much digging myself out of where I was at.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>When was the earliest that you started working on this album, and what was going on in your life at that time?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The first song I wrote is the song &#8220;Home.&#8221; In the summer of 2016 I was feeling very homesick; I was in a job I didn&#8217;t like, really quite difficult, challenging job. It was a part-time job, I thought I could juggle my music and my job really well \u2014 turned out it wasn&#8217;t going well. I realized that I missed my home, and then had a very strange feeling of not even knowing what my home was. I&#8217;ve lived half my life in the UK, born and raised there, half my life here, and didn&#8217;t even really feel a sense of where I belonged<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>More importantly, at that time I was also very newly sober, and realizing that I was still blaming myself a lot for drinking. Even though I stopped I was experiencing so much self-doubt and blaming myself for all of that. I began to wake up to the fact that maybe my drinking was not the only issue, and that [the issue] was the reasons why I had been drinking. A lot of that had to do with literally self-medicating against feelings I was having, and also I had a lifelong health condition that was causing pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So I got myself to the doctor, and I was diagnosed with depression, and that was the beginning of realizing that it wasn&#8217;t my fault that I felt the way I did. Not to alleviate that there was nothing I could do about it, but actually the reverse of that \u2014 that I could do something about it; I could seek help and get better. I realized that I had really been grieving for about 30 years, and I always thought that was what was wrong with me, and I wondered why I couldn&#8217;t get over it. I blamed myself for not being able to just move on in life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It wasn&#8217;t until my brain and my head got clear of alcohol \u2014 and I was diagnosed with depression \u2014 and I was like, &#8220;Oh, maybe it&#8217;s not just my fault.&#8221; I couldn&#8217;t shift myself out of that sadness. Through a diagnosis and starting medication, the fog started to lift, and I realized, &#8220;Oh, this is something fixable.&#8221; That was when I quit my job, and under the encouragement of my husband, I accepted an invitation to play a couple of ukulele fests in the UK. They were six weeks apart, and I really agonized, &#8220;Which one should I do?&#8221; They were both great, and my husband was like, &#8220;Just go, just do both and tour in between. Just leave.&#8221; So I did, for the first time; really jumped into being a musician and not worrying that it was my side-hustle, and just literally taking myself seriously as a musician, going &#8220;I&#8217;m sober, I&#8217;m on medication, I&#8217;m just going to commit to this.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Had you ever done traveling alone like that before?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>No. It&#8217;s funny, because sometimes people think that you&#8217;re an international traveler, because I&#8217;ve been lucky enough to travel. But it&#8217;s never been by myself, and it&#8217;s never been as a working musician. I&#8217;ve done the road-warrior kind of gigs in Chicago and Wisconsin, but I had never ever done a tour. I booked these gigs in all different parts of the UK. In one day I realized I took a train, a car, a bus, and I ended up on a narrow boat in North Wales with a complete stranger; we knew each other just through setting up the session. He records musicians from all over the world on his narrow boat in North Wales. There was not even an address; you just follow the canal path until you find him. I ended up staying the night on his narrow boat, there was nowhere else to go. To do all of that independently, by myself, was just incredible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>That seems like it would be such an interesting way to process what&#8217;s been going on \u2014 to fully remove yourself from your life and your day-to-day grind of family and jobs and just focus on yourself and your music.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It was hugely transformative. There are many a bedroom musician who looks at someone like Bon Iver, and thinks, &#8220;What would I come up with if I was ever in a cabin by myself for a week?&#8221; I think especially as a wife and a mom \u2014 they weren&#8217;t shackling me in any means \u2014 but I always put other people first. I feel selfish enough that I gig all the time, and I commit to my weekly band practice, so I&#8217;m certainly not saying I don&#8217;t have me-time. But six weeks of traveling and playing music with nothing else to do was such a gift to myself \u2014 and terrifying. The prospect of being completely alone, and newly sober, too. To be in the UK with pubs literally on every corner was scary, but I knew I had to prove to myself, &#8220;I can do this. This is my job. There&#8217;s no one else I have to prove anything to except myself, and I&#8217;m going to travel and stay sober and really enjoy every moment.&#8221; It was such an adventure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Tell us a little bit more about the show coming up this weekend.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s going to be at the Parkway [Theater], which really is a dream. I knew that I wanted to have people really sit down and listen. That can be a challenge, but I really deliberately picked a theater to have a special send-off for it. When doors open at 7 we&#8217;re going to meet and gather in the lobby, and anyone who wants to can be involved in filming a music video. For that hour we&#8217;re going to intentionally have people take part in that. The title track is what we are going to be filming: &#8220;Suit of Hearts.&#8221; I really wanted everyone there to take that on as everyday acts of bravery. It&#8217;s definitely not just a song about me; I want everyone to share what they feel brave about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So that will kick off the evening, and Tori Evans will be starting the show. She is a 16 year-old ukulele player who I&#8217;ve somewhat taken under my wing. We&#8217;ve now done a couple of ukulele fests together and she&#8217;s just absolutely taken off. She&#8217;s popping up all over town playing, she&#8217;s a great songwriter. Then Dan Israel&#8217;s full band will be playing, and then the Prairie Fire Lady Choir will be doing a short set of their own, which is such a dream come true because they will be singing with us for the last song. And we will be joined onstage with the Laurel Strings. We practiced with them last night and it was just goosebumps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;m just a cheesy theater kid at the end of the day. To have the opportunity to put on a show is a dream come true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Local Press Highlights:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>City Pages (top 5 MN videos), Star Tribune (interview), Mostly Minnesota (show review), Star Tribune (best concerts this week), The Current\/ Radio Heartland (in-studio), Pioneer Press (interview), City Pages (interview), KFAI\/ MSP Sound (in-studio interview and live performance), Star Tribune (pick six), Mostly MN (playlist), Twin Cities Media (calendar\/ preview), The Current (song of the day), Mostly MN\/ WMCM Radio (in-studio), The Current (playlist), TPT Television<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.citypages.com\/music\/positive-affirmations-new-planets-and-warehouse-woes-in-this-weeks-top-5-mn-music-videos\/510179941\">City Pages (top 5 MN videos) 5\/21\/19 By Jared Fagerberg<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou may never be brave\/You might never save anyone\u2019s life in this life but your own.\u201d If you needed to hear those words today, thank Katy Vernon for writing them. Vernon\u2019s affirming new single \u201cSuit of Hearts\u201d is the title track of the local songwriter\u2019s new album, representing the record\u2019s enduring soul. For the video, Vernon and director Rouse Productions asked attendees of the singer\u2019s release show to share the moments when they feel most brave. In the process, they created a testament to the everyday battles people win through positivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.startribune.com\/twin-cities-strummer-katy-vernon-breaks-out-of-30-year-funk-to-write-songs-of-hope\/508820032\/\">Star Tribune (interview) 4\/20\/19, By Chris Riemenschneider<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Her rebound led her to not only write a hopeful new album, &#8220;Suit of Hearts,&#8221; but to follow her passion. Talk about a tough room.Two summers ago, Twin Cities singer\/songwriter Katy Vernon returned to the hospice care center in London where she last saw her mom alive at age 12. She went there to perform for teens with terminal illnesses, not long after coming to grips with the deep-seated sadness and self-medication she had grappled with throughout her adult life.\u201cWhen you\u2019re going through recovery, you learn that doing things to help other people helps you get out of your own way,\u201d she said, marveling at how the seemingly unenviable gig \u201cfelt so beautiful\u201d in the end. \u201cIt completely changed how I felt about that place, creating something positive out of something so negative.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A ukulele-strumming tunesmith who now calls White Bear Lake home, Vernon has often wittily billed herself as \u201ca singer of sad songs on a happy instrument.\u201d She did not realize until a few years ago, though, just how truly sad she was after losing her mom to lymphoma and her dad to a heart attack five years later. A quarter century later \u2014 and now a mother herself to two teen girls \u2014 Vernon finally sought help for her long-undiagnosed depression and accompanying alcoholism. Her rebound led her to not only write a hopeful new album, \u201cSuit of Hearts,\u201d but to follow her passion and play music full time and use it as a vehicle to help others.Part of the Twin Cities music scene going back to her early-\u201900s rock band, the Camdens \u2014 which she formed after meeting her ex-serviceman husband on a train in Europe and eventually following him home \u2014 the London native enjoyed a good local buzz off her prior solo album, \u201cPresent.\u201d Surprisingly, though, she didn\u2019t enjoy its rollout. \u201cI was actually hung over the day of the release party,\u201d she recalled with a wince. \u201cWhen I looked at my behavior and my moods, I realized I was medicating with alcohol and had been for a long time. So I thought if I stopped drinking, I would feel better. And stopping did help, but I realized a lot of the heavy stuff was still there.\u201d The heaviness, of course, had a lot to do with the lingering trauma of losing both parents before her 18th birthday. She finally sought treatment and was formally diagnosed with depression \u2014 which, she said, \u201cwas almost a relief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just as being a woman in the music scene has its challenges, she said speaking about recovery sometimes involves sexism.\u201cAs a society, we kind of look down more at women with drinking problems \u2014 especially mothers \u2014 whereas men seem to be able to speak about it more with a certain sense of romance about it.\u201dThese newfound efforts follow Vernon\u2019s long-standing support for the Arc Minnesota, which is the beneficiary of the annual Uke Fest she organizes every October in honor of the oldest of her two brothers, Peter, who was born with cerebral palsy and still lives in London.Katy often sings to Peter via Skype, and she visited him during the six-week stay in England that included her return to her mom\u2019s hospice facility and gigs all over the country. That\u2019s also when she wrote many of the songs on \u201cSuit of Hearts.\u201d \u201cIt was a big leap of faith, because it was the first time in my life where I got to be nothing but a musician, at least for a few weeks,\u201d she said, noting that \u201cUndertow\u201d was influenced by the seaside location. \u201cIt\u2019s so much a metaphor for recovery because you have to give up all control and trust that you\u2019re going to be thrust back out and make it to shore.\u201d Her record closes with \u201cSomebody\u2019s Daughter\u2019s Daughter,\u201d a stirring finale featuring the Prairie Fire Lady Choir and sound bites from an interview Vernon tracked down of her mother, Juliet, speaking on a U.K. news program about raising a child with disabilities.\u201cHer voice didn\u2019t sound at all like I remembered it,\u201d Vernon admitted, \u201cso that made it all the more sad at first. But that, too, became part of the healing process.\u201d That upbeat new outlook extends to ABBAsolutely Fab, a new tribute band that Vernon fronts. about which she said, \u201cIt feels great to just get up and sing happy songs like theirs,\u201d she said, \u201cand to step out of being a songwriter and just let go as a singer.\u201dIt feels even better having her own happy songs to sing now, though.\u201cPart of me, as a songwriter, wanted to write a more miserable, woe-is-me, cathartic kind of record,\u201d she said, \u201cbut I\u2019ve spent way too much of my life being sad.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFor 30 years, a big part of me thought: \u2018Get over it already.\u2019 But I couldn\u2019t get over it on my own.\u201dAll of this led to many of the songs on \u201cSuit of Hearts,\u201d which she\u2019s promoting with a digital\/national release celebration May 18 at the Aster Cafe in Minneapolis. Dramatic but uplifting tracks such as \u201cLatest Disaster,\u201d \u201cPink Cloud\u201d and the title track \u2014 produced with Minnesota music vet and fellow recovery advocate Kevin Bowe \u2014 reflect her turn to mental-health assistance.\u201cYou might never save anyone\u2019s life in this life but your own,\u201d she sings in the title song, \u201cbut that\u2019s more than most of us can.\u201dAt her sold-out album celebration last month at the Parkway Theater, Vernon showed off her new efforts to help others by promoting the local mental-health arts organization Dissonance, for which she is also a board member.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/mostlyminnesota.com\/2019\/03\/25\/katy-vernons-long-awaiting-cd-reveal-party-at-the-parkway-is-a-great-show\/\"> 3\/25\/19 Minnesota Review: Ann Treacy<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Katy Vernon celebrated her CD release among many musical (and music-loving) friends at the Parkway Theater. Suit of Hearts came out to a full house and lots of enthusiasm. And it was absolutely worth the celebration. Ukulele player Katy\u2019s moniker has been \u201csad songs on a happy instrument\u201d. Katy has been very vocal about her experience with depression and alcoholism this album feels like the ukulele is winning. Katy seems so happy and celebrated \u2013 although I don\u2019t want to give the uke all of the credit. Katy\u2019s happiness is well earned! I spoke to her about some of the trials and tribulations. It\u2019s tough when you lose your parents young. And it\u2019s tough to take 8 years off your musical career to raise kids. Kids are rewarding, but as a mother, I can attest that raising kids can be lonely and you spend a lot of time looking for the nonexistent manual for them and you! There are so many things to unpack about the show. First \u2013 the songs titles and images on the screen behind here. That\u2019s a reviewer\u2019s dream but it also helps set the tone of each song. The costume changes \u2013 wow! The showmanship. Wow! But the songs were the star. Suit of Hearts, the title song, has the biting irony of a Lily Allen, the key change of a Brandi Carlisle and the unique almost falsetto voice of Katy. The lyrics speak to the everyday hero, carrying on and (I think) both appreciating the heroes around and within us. Katy brings an honesty without bravado to the stage and allows us in to what hasn\u2019t always been a happy story, much as I love her singing I think her legacy will be the people she helps and lifts out of their own depression. The full band is amazing. The addition of the Laurels String Quartet and Prairie Fire Lady Choir. I know Prairie Fire Lady Choir weren\u2019t swaying at full mast, but they sounded fantastic. Who else can successfully mash up I am Woman and We\u2019re Not Going to Take It. And when women have a seat at the table, it\u2019s best to bring other women to join.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.startribune.com\/twin-cities-concerts-of-the-week-oberst-amp-bridgers-dan-shay-dessa-amp-mn-orch\/507486252\/\">Star Tribune (best concerts this week) 3\/22\/10 By Chris Reimenschneider<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Katy Vernon: She\u2019s come a long way literally and figuratively in her journey through the Twin Cities music scene, and now the ukulele-strumming British transplant is opening up on a personal odyssey that preceded her new album, \u201cSuit of Hearts.\u201d Dramatic, cliff-pondering folk-rock songs such as \u201cLatest Disaster,\u201d \u201cLook to the Sea\u201d and \u201cSomebody\u2019s Daughter\u2019s Daughter\u201d were written during a stayover in England as she fought past depression, alcoholism and the lingering pain of losing her parents during childhood. It\u2019s a triumphant, feel-good record with wistful music to match from her longtime band and album guests the Prairie Fire Lady Choir and Laurel Strings, both whom will perform at the release party along with Dan Israel. (8 p.m. Sat., Parkway Theater, 4812 Chicago Av. S., Mpls., $10-$15, theparkwaytheater.com.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.twincities.com\/2019\/03\/21\/katy-vernon-bares-her-heart-on-new-album-inspired-by-an-all-around-tough-year\/\">3\/20\/19 Pioneer Press (interview) By Ross Raihala<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Singer\/songwriter Katy Vernon\u2019s optimistic new album, \u201cSuit of Hearts,\u201d was inspired by a whole lot of pain.\u201cI had a very rough year in 2016,\u201d said the London native who now lives in White Bear Lake. \u201cI crashed my car, broke my toe, broke my phone and was trying to hold onto my marriage. I recognized my drinking had been a crutch and I tried to give it up. \u201cThen I started to personally feel even worse, because I wasn\u2019t numbing (my pain) with drinking. I was diagnosed with depression, which in a way was kind of encouraging. It wasn\u2019t just personal shortcomings, it was something wrong with me that could be helped.\u201d Vernon marks the release of \u201cSuit of Hearts,\u201d which she calls the most ambitious thing she\u2019s done, with a Saturday night show at Minneapolis\u2019 Parkway Theater. She\u2019ll perform with her full band and the Laurel Strings Quartet atop a bill that also features Prairie Fire Lady Choir, Dan Israel and Tori Evans. Making it through 2016 convinced Vernon it was time to fully commit to being a musician. She had never toured before 2017 when she booked a six-week run of shows in the U.K. \u201cI wanted to dive in and explore the U.K. and see what that experience brought out in me,\u201d she said. \u201cI started writing songs more to kind of chronicle what it felt like to go home, reconnect with family and sights and places. I wanted to be brave, to go on an adventure and not be scared.\u201d It was a challenge for Vernon, who said she had never really been on her own like she was during her overseas trip. She met her husband, Randy, who was in the Air Force, by chance on a train from Amsterdam to Berlin. They married in 1993 when she was 21 and she moved to Minnesota where they started a family. (Vernon has two teenage daughters, Lily and Daisy.) Vernon has focused on playing the ukulele in recent years and landed spots at two large U.K. festivals devoted to the instrument. Those shows served to bookend her trip, which included gigs in pubs and clubs along with some house concerts. \u201cIt was scary to be completely on my own \u2013 very daunting, but also exciting. I had to live in the moment. I was in a different city every couple of days. For the first time, I really felt so encouraged on stage. People didn\u2019t need to know me, they could just listen to the songs. I realized I have something to offer and that people were liking my music.\u201d She returned to Minnesota with a clutch of fresh material and renewed enthusiasm. She did another U.K. tour last year and will launch her third this summer. Inspired by her trip, Vernon set up a Kickstarter to fund her new album and raised $10,000 in a month. She made \u201cSuit of Hearts\u201d with songwriter and producer Kevin Bowe, whose lengthy resume includes work with the Replacements, Joe Cocker, Etta James and Steven Van Zandt. \u201cHe encouraged me to make the most of this big adventure,\u201d she said. \u201cHe was such a team player, he really made me feel like I was co-producing. He\u2019s been sober for a long time and he knew and respected that there were serious underpinnings to these songs. We didn\u2019t have to belabor it.\u201d While much of Vernon\u2019s past music has been folk rock, she took a leap into disco for the song \u201cLatest Disaster.\u201d The Abba tribute band she founded a few years back helped push her in that direction. \u201cMy drummer told me he knew why I started the Abba band, because it cheered me up. It was like joining a gym. Singing Abba songs has made me a better singer and I wanted to inject some of that into my record.\u201d During the recording process, she stumbled upon the title she ultimately chose for the album. \u201cIt was somewhat inspired by social media and the weird time we\u2019re living in,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019ve chosen to be very open about the grief I\u2019ve dealt with and my recovery. I realized I wear my heart not only on my sleeve, but all over myself, with nothing to hide. And I thought, that\u2019s a good album title. I need to delve into what it means to me.\u201d In the end, \u201cSuit of Hearts\u201d offers a range of emotions. \u201cThe point was not to chronicle darkness and depression, but to show you can come out of it. There\u2019s always hope, you can always get better.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.citypages.com\/music\/katy-vernon-shares-her-journey-toward-healing-and-recovery-on-suit-of-hearts\/507373911\">3\/20\/19 City Pages (interview) By Erik Thompson<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The English seaside has inspired generations of artists, and now Katy Vernon can be added to that list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2017, Vernon\u2019s life was in disarray. She had recently left her job, quit drinking, and been diagnosed with depression. Amid all that emotional upheaval, she left Minnesota for a six-week run of shows in the U.K.\u2014and began writing the best songs of her life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI started to get help for my depression, and I resolved to not drink to numb my feelings and self-medicate,\u201d Vernon says now. \u201cI allowed myself to really work through all that stuff that I was suppressing. I thought that I was really self-aware. I had written all these songs about feelings and being present\u2014Present is literally the name of my last album. I\u2019d done a lot of work on myself, but I was kind of missing the big picture, which was that there was something wrong with me that could be fixed, or at least helped.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Vernon, who was born and raised in South London and moved to Minnesota when she was 21, brought that newfound sense of clarity with her as she ventured back home to the U.K. \u201cI was really, really scared to do it,\u201d she says of the trip. \u201cI knew it would be a lot of time by myself, which as a newly sober person I didn\u2019t really trust myself 100 percent with. Also, it was in the U.K., where you can find alcohol everywhere you turn. But I went with the encouragement of my husband, who said, \u2018Go for it. You love music. You love playing. It will be an adventure.\u2019 So, I just jumped on a plane and did it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Performing at two large-scale ukulele festivals inspired Vernon to develop a new style of playing and to challenge herself as a songwriter, developing techniques that she would use to write the songs that would eventually form Suit of Hearts, her third and best solo record.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI was so happy to be there and playing, but I felt so intimidated. These were the best ukulele players in the world,\u201d says Vernon. \u201cI set myself the task of throwing everything I knew about songwriting out the window, and just trying to start over. I tried to write with all new chords, nothing I had done before. And a lot of grief and stress poured out of me. I knew I wanted to write my way out of that. I knew I wanted to write a happy album that would cheer me up, even though I had to dig deep in order to get there. I wanted to make myself feel better and see that light at the end of the tunnel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Intimate and unguarded, the songs on Suit of Hearts transform sad memories into happier moments. \u201cHome\u201d offers a glimpse of someone who feels like they don\u2019t belong anywhere, feeling homesick for a place that doesn\u2019t exist anymore, while \u201cIn Your Shoes (For Daisy)\u201d offers support and encouragement to her daughters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For Vernon, who has been an orphan for 30 years, the trip to the U.K. also took on a personal significance. With her cousin as a guide, she took a sightseeing tour of Wales, visiting the places where her mom grew up and locations that were important to her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI went back to the hospice where my mom died. That was the last place I saw her. I was 12 years old,\u201d Vernon says. \u201cBut I was asked to put on a concert there. It was my first time walking back in that building. And there were all kinds of sad memories. But I was there to put on a concert for young people going through terminal illnesses, so I had to check my own issues at the door and not bring them in with me. So I sang, and it was a really lovely event. And that really changed my memory of the place. Those kinds of experiences are so good, to push yourself through and create a happier memory out of somewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Vernon threads layers of her mom\u2019s speaking voice, from a long-lost interview with her on the BBC program Panorama, into the song \u201cSomebody\u2019s Daughter\u2019s Daughter,\u201d a way for the singer to have her mother personally involved in an album that drew so much inspiration from her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI sat on the same beach that my cousin was telling me was my mom\u2019s favorite beach,\u201d Vernon says. \u201cAnd it was such a powerful moment, of realizing both the end and the beginning of my mom\u2019s life, and all this stuff that I didn\u2019t know about her. How joyful that all was for me. \u2018Somebody\u2019s Daughter\u2019s Daughter\u2019 was inspired by that day at the seaside. Because I thought, as lost and lonely as I feel, I did come from a family. There is a heritage there, I just didn\u2019t grow up with it and I didn\u2019t know it. And I felt really British, and connected to the land. And I realized that I\u2019m not this broken, rubbish person. I came from something nice, I\u2019m lucky enough to have a happy, healthy family myself. There\u2019s a lot to celebrate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And Suit of Hearts is indeed celebratory, even hopeful despite the songs\u2019 fractured origins, with lyrics focused on reassembling a life from its broken fragments. As Vernon sings on the title track: \u201cYou wear your suit of hearts\/You tear yourself apart\/But you\u2019re not broken\/Just a little rearranged\/And none of us get out of here\/Without a little change.\u201d Vernon acknowledges the flaws and failures of her past, while rejoicing in the fact that she has changed her life\u2014and her music\u2014in a positive way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe little throwaway line I have in my Twitter bio says, \u2018Singer of sad songs on a happy instrument,\u2019\u201d Vernon says. \u201cIt took me a while to even realize what that meant to me. And I think I was always a little embarrassed or insecure about how heart-on-my-sleeve I was about grief or any of those things that were difficult to sing about. But the more that I think about it, I\u2019m the happy instrument. I\u2019ve always loved singing and dancing and being a goofball, so that balances out this sad, kind of intense stuff I want to write about.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Though a full band backed her in the studio, and the Laurel String Quartet and the Prairie Fire Lady Choir also appear on the album, Vernon proudly asserts that Suit of Hearts is first and foremost a ukulele record.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIn the past, I thought that I would be taken more seriously if I played at least half my songs on guitar,\u201d Vernon says with a laugh. \u201cBut I realized that\u2019s really silly. It\u2019s still me. And I want people to realize that you can still front a band with a ukulele and it doesn\u2019t have to be this twee, cutesy thing. It can really rock.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kfai.org\/episode\/03-17-2019-msp-sound\/\">KFAI\/ MSP Sound (in-studio interview and live performance<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twincitiesmedia.net\/blog\/cool-shows-next-week-3-18-3-24\/\">3\/13\/19 Twin Cities Media (calendar\/ preview) By Markus Akre<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As you may know Katy Vernon toured the UK a couple of years ago and it was a trans-formative trip for her. Not only was it a very literal homecoming, it was also the kickoff to a huge creative leap for Katy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Katy traveled to play two of the largest ukulele festivals in Europe. The Greater Northern Ukulele Festival and the Ukulele Festival of Great Britain. They were six weeks apart so she decided to leave her job and jump in! Katy independently booked over 2 dozen other shows and traveled the entire country on her own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Katy spent 9 days alone in Brighton by the sea. Every day Katy would walk to the sea and explore the town. This inspired so many songs and also gave me time to reflect and recharge. 2016 was a very difficult year personally, Katy set off on this tour newly diagnosed with major depression and newly sober. Being alone was exciting and daunting at that time. Katy sat by the sea and let all of that fear and uncertainty pour itself into songs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This record is the most vulnerable Katy have ever been, but it is also more importantly the strongest she has ever been. These songs were written to inspire her to get through life\u2019s struggles. They include happy anthems meant to embrace life. \u2018Suit of Hearts\u2019 is meant to reflect the vulnerability of wearing your heart on your sleeve, but also convey the strength of baring your entire self openly and honestly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One that I think you will enjoy is the song \u2018Latest Disaster\u2019. It\u2019s obviously very ABBA inspired. It\u2019s been so fun for Katy to expand her sound and incorporate more pop influence. Katy feels like this is more of a organic growth of the band. They loosening up and started to have more fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another song that means a lot to Katy is \u2018Somebody\u2019s Daughter\u2019s Daughter\u2019. Katy was inspired to write this as she walked the childhood haunts of her mum, and her cousin told her stories about the generations of women in their family that she never knew about. Katy wanted to pay homage to them. In addition to a choir of women singing on the song, you can also hear her own mum\u2019s voice. Katy was able to track down this audio from the BBC last year, having not heard her voice since 1984. Kevin Bowe and Katy got chills editing it into the song.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"URL: https:\/\/www.thecurrent.org\/feature\/2019\/03\/08\/katy-vernono-undertow\">3\/8\/19 The Current (song of the day) Song: Undertow<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"URL: https:\/\/mostlyminnesota.com\/2019\/03\/03\/mostly-mn-music-with-katy-vernon-anna-stine\/\">3\/3\/19 Mostly MN\/ WMCM Radio (in-studio) By Ann Treacy<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We had a wonderful show today and I could just cry because I didn\u2019t push record in time. So the best parts of the show \u2013 the interviews with Anna Stine and Katy Vernon aren\u2019t on the archive. BUT I have videos of each of them singing. It\u2019s such a treat to have people play music the studio and we were twice blessed today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Next we had Katy Vernon, whose CD (Suit of Hearts) is coming out March 23 with a big hurrah at the Parkway Theater. Katy haven\u2019t known each other very long but I am so impressed by her. In the promotional video for her upcoming CD release she has a quote from Alice in Wonderland \u2013 I can\u2019t go back to yesterday because I was a different person then. We talked about that line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First I learned that Lewis Carroll spent in Brighton and so did Katy. She went there for a 9 day writing retreat. She learned about a secret-ish tunnel from Carroll\u2019s to the see and at one point he saw a rabbit (presumably white rabbit!) running into the tunnel. And that fit into her song Undertow, a song I liked before and love now. But it was great to hear from Katy how the quote fits into her own life \u2013 how she has recovered from depression and substance addiction to a better place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I met Katy one night as we both volunteered to interview people experiencing homeless for three-year survey of a night on the streets in the Twin Cities. She has heard about it from a social post of mine and then there she was \u2013 after midnight at the bus transit at the Mall of America. So that\u2019s not much about her singing, but it\u2019s a lot about her songs and her humanity. One of the monikers I love for Katy is \u201csad songs on a happy instrument\u201d and it\u2019s very true. But we talked about how that\u2019s less true than it once was \u2013 it feels some of the sunshine from the ukulele in sneaking into the lyrics! I really enjoy her music \u2013 it\u2019s hard not to dance even when the dark tones take over the theme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Suit Of Hearts<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>I didn\u2019t expect \u201cSuit of Hearts\u201d to touch me as quickly and as deeply as it did upon my first few listens, but it did and it grabbed me the way any great song or long-playing collection of songs does: What did I miss the first time? What did she say? What was that? Are there more riches to be had? Sure enough, the songs on \u201cSuit of Hearts\u201d are best heard again and again, and by doing so we the lucky listeners (the second track, \u201cListen,\u201d btw, is a string-thing of peaceful easy beauty that advocates for my favorite thing, listening) get to know something intimate about my friend and sometime collaborator, the Singer-with-a-capital-S Katy Vernon, as she bares her soul and beautifully tells her stories of family, kicking the bottle, life, love, motherhood, the tightrope of show biz, and the joy of singing.Great tunes abound, including the set-closer \u201cSomebody\u2019s Daughter\u2019s Daughter,\u201d a haunting cry for freedom featuring Katy\u2019s late mother\u2019s recorded voice); the should-be pop-dance smash \u201cLatest Disaster,\u201d the wised-up confessional \u201cCatch Myself,\u201d and the terrifically timeless saunter \u201cLook to the Sea,\u201d to name only a few off this supremely full-bodied and gorgeously produced (by Kevin Bowe) and played (the strings and Paul Odegaard\u2019s trumpet are especially spectacular) gem. Katy\u2019s voice is a thing of robust beauty, and she wears her heart on her sleeve throughout, but from what I hear here, it\u2019s obvious that heart is so big, kind, and generous that it needed more fabric. \u201cSuit of Hearts\u201d is the sound of an artist simultaneously growing and in full bloom, and it\u2019s exciting to hear. <strong>Jim Walsh<br>Author\/writer\/columnist\/journalist<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She\u2019s come a long way literally and figuratively in her journey through the Twin Cities music scene, and now the ukulele-strumming British transplant is opening up on a personal odyssey that preceded her new album, \u201cSuit of Hearts.\u201d Dramatic, cliff-pondering folk-rock songs such as \u201cLatest Disaster,\u201d \u201cLook to the Sea\u201d and \u201cSomebody\u2019s Daughter\u2019s Daughter\u201d were written during a stayover in England as she fought past depression, alcoholism and the lingering pain of losing her parents during childhood. It\u2019s a triumphant, feel-good record with wistful music to match from her longtime band and album guests the Prairie Fire Lady Choir and Laurel Strings, both whom will perform at the release party along with Dan Israel. <strong>Chris Reimenscheider&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Star&nbsp;Tribune<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Pioneer Press Article<\/strong><br>By&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.twincities.com\/author\/ross-raihala\/\">ROSS RAIHALA<\/a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href=\"mailto:rraihala@pioneerpress.com\">rraihala@pioneerpress.com<\/a>&nbsp;| Pioneer Press<br>March 21, 2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Katy Vernon bares her heart on new album inspired by an all-around tough year<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.twincities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Katy-header-e1553033055968.jpg?w=620\" alt=\"\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Singer\/songwriter Katy Vernon. (Courtesy of Randy Vanderwood)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Singer\/songwriter Katy Vernon\u2019s optimistic new album, \u201cSuit of Hearts,\u201d was inspired by a whole lot of pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI had a very rough year in 2016,\u201d said the London native who now lives in White Bear Lake. \u201cI crashed my car, broke my toe, broke my phone and was trying to hold onto my marriage. I recognized my drinking had been a crutch and I tried to give it up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThen I started to personally feel even worse, because I wasn\u2019t numbing (my pain) with drinking. I was diagnosed with depression, which in a way was kind of encouraging. It wasn\u2019t just personal shortcomings, it was something wrong with me that could be helped.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Vernon marks the release of \u201cSuit of Hearts,\u201d which she calls the most ambitious thing she\u2019s done, with a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/theparkwaytheater.com\/all-events\/katy-vernon\">Saturday night show at Minneapolis\u2019 Parkway Theater<\/a>. She\u2019ll perform with her full band and the Laurel Strings Quartet atop a bill that also features Prairie Fire Lady Choir, Dan Israel and Tori Evans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Making it through 2016 convinced Vernon it was time to fully commit to being a musician. She had never toured before 2017 when she booked a six-week run of shows in the U.K.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI wanted to dive in and explore the U.K. and see what that experience brought out in me,\u201d she said. \u201cI started writing songs more to kind of chronicle what it felt like to go home, reconnect with family and sights and places. I wanted to be brave, to go on an adventure and not be scared.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It was a challenge for Vernon, who said she had never really been on her own like she was during her overseas trip. She met her husband, Randy, who was in the Air Force, by chance on a train from Amsterdam to Berlin. They married in 1993 when she was 21 and she moved to Minnesota where they started a family. (Vernon has two teenage daughters, Lily and Daisy.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Vernon has focused on playing the ukulele in recent years and landed spots at two large U.K. festivals devoted to the instrument. Those shows served to bookend her trip, which included gigs in pubs and clubs along with some house concerts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt was scary to be completely on my own \u2013 very daunting, but also exciting. I had to live in the moment. I was in a different city every couple of days. For the first time, I really felt so encouraged on stage. People didn\u2019t need to know me, they could just listen to the songs. I realized I have something to offer and that people were liking my music.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She returned to Minnesota with a clutch of fresh material and renewed enthusiasm. She did another U.K. tour last year and will launch her third this summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Inspired by her trip, Vernon set up a Kickstarter to fund her new album and raised $10,000 in a month. She made \u201cSuit of Hearts\u201d with songwriter and producer Kevin Bowe, whose lengthy resume includes work with the Replacements, Joe Cocker, Etta James and Steven Van Zandt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHe encouraged me to make the most of this big adventure,\u201d she said. \u201cHe was such a team player, he really made me feel like I was co-producing. He\u2019s been sober for a long time and he knew and respected that there were serious underpinnings to these songs. We didn\u2019t have to belabor it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While much of Vernon\u2019s past music has been folk rock, she took a leap into disco for the song \u201cLatest Disaster.\u201d The Abba tribute band she founded a few years back helped push her in that direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMy drummer told me he knew why I started the Abba band, because it cheered me up. It was like joining a gym. Singing Abba songs has made me a better singer and I wanted to inject some of that into my record.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During the recording process, she stumbled upon the title she ultimately chose for the album.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt was somewhat inspired by social media and the weird time we\u2019re living in,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019ve chosen to be very open about the grief I\u2019ve dealt with and my recovery. I realized I wear my heart not only on my sleeve, but all over myself, with nothing to hide. And I thought, that\u2019s a good album title. I need to delve into what it means to me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the end, \u201cSuit of Hearts\u201d offers a range of emotions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe point was not to chronicle darkness and depression, but to show you can come out of it. There\u2019s always hope, you can always get better.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Katy Vernon shares her journey toward healing and recovery on \u2018Suit of Hearts\u2019<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>Wednesday, March 20, 2019 by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.citypages.com\/about\/staff\/erik-thompson\/372121862\">Erik Thompson<\/a>&nbsp;in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.citypages.com\/music\">Music<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2017, Vernon\u2019s life was in disarray. She had recently left her job, quit drinking, and been diagnosed with depression. Amid all that emotional upheaval, she left Minnesota for a six-week run of shows in the U.K.\u2014and began writing the best songs of her life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI started to get help for my depression, and I resolved to not drink to numb my feelings and self-medicate,\u201d Vernon says now. \u201cI allowed myself to really work through all that stuff that I was suppressing. I thought that I was really self-aware. I had written all these songs about feelings and being present\u2014<em>Present<\/em>&nbsp;is literally the name of my last album. I\u2019d done a lot of work on myself, but I was kind of missing the big picture, which was that there was something wrong with me that could be fixed, or at least helped.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Vernon, who was born and raised in South London and moved to Minnesota when she was 21, brought that newfound sense of clarity with her as she ventured back home to the U.K. \u201cI was really, really scared to do it,\u201d she says of the trip. \u201cI knew it would be a lot of time by myself, which as a newly sober person I didn\u2019t really trust myself 100 percent with. Also, it was in the U.K., where you can find alcohol everywhere you turn. But I went with the encouragement of my husband, who said, \u2018Go for it. You love music. You love playing. It will be an adventure.\u2019 So, I just jumped on a plane and did it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Performing at two large-scale ukulele festivals inspired Vernon to develop a new style of playing and to challenge herself as a songwriter, developing techniques that she would use to write the songs that would eventually form&nbsp;<em>Suit of Hearts<\/em>, her third and best solo record.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI was so happy to be there and playing, but I felt so intimidated. These were the best ukulele players in the world,\u201d says Vernon. \u201cI set myself the task of throwing everything I knew about songwriting out the window, and just trying to start over. I tried to write with all new chords, nothing I had done before. And a lot of grief and stress poured out of me. I knew I wanted to write my way out of that. I knew I wanted to write a happy album that would cheer me up, even though I had to dig deep in order to get there. I wanted to make myself feel better and see that light at the end of the tunnel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Intimate and unguarded, the songs on&nbsp;<em>Suit of Hearts<\/em>&nbsp;transform sad memories into happier moments. \u201cHome\u201d offers a glimpse of someone who feels like they don\u2019t belong anywhere, feeling homesick for a place that doesn\u2019t exist anymore, while \u201cIn Your Shoes (For Daisy)\u201d offers support and encouragement to her daughters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For Vernon, who has been an orphan for 30 years, the trip to the U.K. also took on a personal significance. With her cousin as a guide, she took a sightseeing tour of Wales, visiting the places where her mom grew up and locations that were important to her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI went back to the hospice where my mom died. That was the last place I saw her. I was 12 years old,\u201d Vernon says. \u201cBut I was asked to put on a concert there. It was my first time walking back in that building. And there were all kinds of sad memories. But I was there to put on a concert for young people going through terminal illnesses, so I had to check my own issues at the door and not bring them in with me. So I sang, and it was a really lovely event. And that really changed my memory of the place. Those kinds of experiences are so good, to push yourself through and create a happier memory out of somewhere.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Vernon threads layers of her mom\u2019s speaking voice, from a long-lost interview with her on the BBC program&nbsp;<em>Panorama<\/em>, into the song \u201cSomebody\u2019s Daughter\u2019s Daughter,\u201d a way for the singer to have her mother personally involved in an album that drew so much inspiration from her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI sat on the same beach that my cousin was telling me was my mom\u2019s favorite beach,\u201d Vernon says. \u201cAnd it was such a powerful moment, of realizing both the end and the beginning of my mom\u2019s life, and all this stuff that I didn\u2019t know about her. How joyful that all was for me. \u2018Somebody\u2019s Daughter\u2019s Daughter\u2019 was inspired by that day at the seaside. Because I thought, as lost and lonely as I feel, I did come from a family. There is a heritage there, I just didn\u2019t grow up with it and I didn\u2019t know it. And I felt really British, and connected to the land. And I realized that I\u2019m not this broken, rubbish person. I came from something nice, I\u2019m lucky enough to have a happy, healthy family myself. There\u2019s a lot to celebrate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And&nbsp;<em>Suit of Hearts<\/em>&nbsp;is indeed celebratory, even hopeful despite the songs\u2019 fractured origins, with lyrics focused on reassembling a life from its broken fragments. As Vernon sings on the title track: \u201cYou wear your suit of hearts\/You tear yourself apart\/But you\u2019re not broken\/Just a little rearranged\/And none of us get out of here\/Without a little change.\u201d Vernon acknowledges the flaws and failures of her past, while rejoicing in the fact that she has changed her life\u2014and her music\u2014in a positive way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe little throwaway line I have in my Twitter bio says, \u2018Singer of sad songs on a happy instrument,\u2019\u201d Vernon says. \u201cIt took me a while to even realize what that meant to me. And I think I was always a little embarrassed or insecure about how heart-on-my-sleeve I was about grief or any of those things that were difficult to sing about. But the more that I think about it, I\u2019m the happy instrument. I\u2019ve always loved singing and dancing and being a goofball, so that balances out this sad, kind of intense stuff I want to write about.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Though a full band backed her in the studio, and the Laurel String Quartet and the Prairie Fire Lady Choir also appear on the album, Vernon proudly asserts that&nbsp;<em>Suit of Hearts<\/em>&nbsp;is first and foremost a ukulele record.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIn the past, I thought that I would be taken more seriously if I played at least half my songs on guitar,\u201d Vernon says with a laugh. \u201cBut I realized that\u2019s really silly. It\u2019s still me. And I want people to realize that you can still front a band with a ukulele and it doesn\u2019t have to be this twee, cutesy thing. It can&nbsp;really rock.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div><header class=\"entry-header\"><header class=\"entry-header\">\n<div class=\"header-title-area\">\n<div class=\"headline-area\">\n<div class=\"headlines\">\n<div>&nbsp;<strong>Present: Released 2015<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header><\/header>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>&nbsp;<span style=\"font-weight: bold; color: #ff0000;\"><strong>Present Press:<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000; font-weight: bold;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">U.K. expat Katy Vernon: &#8216;death, drinking, disability&#8217; songs meet the uke<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>By&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.citypages.com\/authors\/youa-vang-6527433\">Youa Vang CITY PAGES<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The combination of getting older and having a day job is an eternal struggle with which most artists deal. On her latest album,&nbsp;<em>Present<\/em>, Katy Vernon finds solace and contentment in her current life, somewhat appeasing those demons that force you to create while living a &#8220;normal&#8221; life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The record is an example of the mystery that is the human mind and a reminder that music is about making people feel they are part of something \u2014 a larger tribe. On it, Vernon digs deep into the creative psyche, revealing the complex interchange of ideas between human beings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>City Pages sat down with the U.K. expat and current Minnesotan before her album release on Sunday at Icehouse to find the process behind her latest musical venture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>City Pages:&nbsp;<\/strong>What drew you to the ukulele when you first began performing?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Katy Vernon:<\/strong>&nbsp;I&#8217;d been writing and singing for a long time but was in a creative slump. I played guitar a little but I was always primarily a vocalist and the idea of playing solo was completely daunting, so without a band I felt pretty lost. I saw Lucy Michelle play a tenor uke that had a fuller sound and really changed the way I felt about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A friend, Dave Kapell, had been telling me for years that it would be a good instrument for me so we went shopping together, and I literally asked the guys at Twin Town for the one Lucy played.&nbsp;I wrote my first song in a couple of weeks and it just felt instinctive to me to play it. It suits my voice well and I like the levity it brings to some of my sadder songs. On Twitter I call myself &#8220;singer of sad songs on a happy instrument.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>CP:&nbsp;<\/strong>What do you think is a common misconception about the instrument or even people who play the ukulele?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>KV:&nbsp;<\/strong>I think most people still think it&#8217;s pretty twee. Every time I write a song on it I&#8217;m trying to make it sound different. It&#8217;s at versatile as any other instrument. I also put together Uke Fest every year and that embraces the large range of how it can sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We had 16 different acts this year and none sounded the same. I think you can embrace people&#8217;s misconceptions and have fun with it. There&#8217;s a history to cutesy songs being played on the uke and that&#8217;s fine but there&#8217;s so much more it can do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>CP:<\/strong>&nbsp;How did you come to working with your producer Kevin Bowe on this project? How do you think he changed the songs?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>KV:<\/strong>&nbsp;I knew Kevin a little and he invited us in to his IPR [Institute of Production &amp; Recording] sessions, which is a chance for bands to track for free and students to learn recording. I don&#8217;t think he had any idea how ambitious we were going to be when we came in. We had just come off a residency so we were super tight and we did five complete songs during that morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of my favorite musical moments was when we played a song that day and when we were done the entire room of students clapped and said it was a hit! That was an unexpected and sweet moment. We went back and did the rest of the album that way and then spent the next year putting the rest of the tracks together at his home studio. It was amazingly productive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The songs didn&#8217;t change during the recording process so much. I think the biggest factor was that we had really learned how to play together and tighten up our arrangements prior to going in. I could have agonized over every choice, and Kevin would get a couple of takes on everything and keep it moving. He told me to put all the stress on him, so I did. He&#8217;s incredibly encouraging and I felt completely listened to and involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One song that Kevin absolutely had a vision for and that we started over after the IPR sessions was &#8220;Pearl.&#8221; We had rushed that one and so when we re-did it he made a couple of keyboard sound suggestions and we added some single uke strums and it took on more of a Roxy Music vibe. I think if we had started at his studio in the beginning rather than going the IPR route, he would have had even more creative input, but I really wanted a band sound and I feel like we got that. He took what we were all already doing and made sure we didn&#8217;t overthink it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>CP:<\/strong>&nbsp;You mentioned you write a lot about tough situations in your life, such as losing your parents at a young age. How did\/does music help you move forward when you&#8217;re faced with tragedies like this?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>KV:<\/strong>&nbsp;It&#8217;s always been my outlet. I found it hard to talk about a lot and at some point people expect you to just be okay and stop talking about grief, but it&#8217;s always with you. I found pretty early on that I could put my feelings into song and then luckily people enjoyed them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It might sound like a break up song or something else that people can relate to and although I know it&#8217;s cathartic for me it&#8217;s an even exchange of pretty singing and enjoyment for the listener. So hopefully it doesn&#8217;t sound totally self indulgent. It&#8217;s just a huge part of who i am and also a way to keep my parents memory and presence in my life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I knew after my last record that I didn&#8217;t want another whole album that focused on that though. I&#8217;m trying to grow. The record is called&nbsp;<em>Present<\/em>&nbsp;because I&#8217;m trying to live in the moment more and not look back so much and not stress about the future either. Some of my deepest fears have already come true but I have so much to be grateful for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>CP:&nbsp;<\/strong>How do you self-edit to make it not cheesy and trite?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>KV:&nbsp;<\/strong>On paper I might sound cheesy, English girl with a pixie haircut singing songs on a ukulele! But anyone who&#8217;s ever seen me would know that&#8217;s not the case. I pour my heart out on stage, and I just try to be really true to how I want to express myself. I definitely self-edit anything cheesy out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I think that&#8217;s why I found it so hard to write happier songs. Whenever I write I just want to say something I don&#8217;t think had been said a million times. Love songs and happy songs are hard without breaking into the cheese. Songs about death, drinking, and disability are more my style.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>CP:&nbsp;<\/strong>Tell me about the song &#8220;Lily.&#8221; How did you come to writing that piece? What headspace were you in when you were writing it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>KV:<\/strong>&nbsp;This was my happy song success story! The chorus came to me almost fully formed in the shower, I think a lot in there, and I loved the idea of someone painting the world with happiness. My daughter Lily wakes up every single day with a powerful joyful attitude that is so foreign to me that I just marvel at it! She&#8217;s also incredibly creative and really great at art. She drew the back cover art for this record.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once I had the idea for the song I had to do some serious Crayola research to look up all the color names I wanted to name check. I&#8217;ve never done that with a song before so it was a fun project. Of course now there&#8217;s pressure to write a song about my other kid, Daisy, but she came in to the studio and sang backing vocals so that made her happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>CP:&nbsp;<\/strong>Any other songs on this album that you&#8217;re particularly proud of or you embody when you&#8217;re on stage?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>KV:<\/strong>&nbsp;&#8220;Pearl&#8221; is my favorite song on the record for now. It was such a turning point writing wise. I was really struggling with anxiety and grief and needed help trying to lessen some of the stress in my life. I actually turned to hypnosis therapy for help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After leaving one session I had a strong sense of releasing some of my issues and sat down and wrote that song. It came flooding out of me all at once and is a really hooky beautiful song that I just love performing with the band.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;d also say that the song that embodies me most right now is &#8220;23.&#8221; It&#8217;s about singing for myself and not fitting into the cookie cutter mold of whatever people judge as music industry success. I realized one night on stage that I&#8217;m not auditioning for anyone. I&#8217;ve got the gig. I gave it to myself after almost giving up. I don&#8217;t want to tell my kids they can do anything they want in the world but not tell myself that. It&#8217;s my own personal anthem!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>CP:&nbsp;<\/strong>What are you excited to share at the album release show?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>KV:<\/strong>&nbsp;In addition to unveiling all the new songs we will also throw in a few really beautiful covers that people haven&#8217;t heard us play before.&nbsp;Most importantly the evening will showcase how great the band [Clay Williams on guitar,&nbsp;Simon Husbands on keyboard, vocals,&nbsp;Chris McAtee on drums,&nbsp;Reed Pagel on bass, and&nbsp;Paul Odegaard on trumpet]&nbsp;is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They have my back In every way and are some of the best players in town. No matter how I feel when I get on stage I know I will always feel better when I&#8217;m up there because playing music with them is pure joy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><b>Television:<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>WCCO News..<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JZ4qySAtDSs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JZ4qySAtDSs<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>WCCO\/CBS..<a title=\"Women Who Rock\" href=\"https:\/\/minnesota.cbslocal.com\/2014\/11\/15\/women-who-rock-katy-vernon\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/minnesota.cbslocal.com\/2014\/11\/15\/women-who-rock-katy-vernon\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>TPT Almanac ;&nbsp;<a title=\"TPT Almanac Full Band\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mnvideovault.org\/mvvPlayer\/customPlaylist2.php?id=28865&amp;select_index=5&amp;popup=yes#5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">TPT Almanac Full Band<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thank you to &#8216;Almanac&#8217; for having us on as guests. Click to view&nbsp;<a title=\"Almanac Appearance\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mnvideovault.org\/mvvPlayer\/customPlaylist2.php?id=28865&amp;select_index=5&amp;popup=yes#5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Almanac Appearance<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Recently featured on WCCO News:&nbsp;<a title=\"Women Who Rock\" href=\"https:\/\/minnesota.cbslocal.com\/2014\/11\/15\/women-who-rock-katy-vernon\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/minnesota.cbslocal.com\/2014\/11\/15\/women-who-rock-katy-vernon<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&amp; MPR News..<a title=\"MPR Minnesota Sounds and Voices\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mprnews.org\/topic\/minnesota-sounds-and-voices\">&nbsp;https:\/\/www.mprnews.org\/story\/2014\/10\/03\/ukulele<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>TPT Almanac&nbsp;<a title=\"Almanac\" href=\"https:\/\/video.tpt.org\/video\/2279389099\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/video.tpt.org\/video\/2279389099\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>Online<\/strong>:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Back to the City.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=PPfcdm_9jKA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=PPfcdm_9jKA<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Local Current Blog &#8211; by Aaron Bolton \u00b7&nbsp;<a title=\"View more posts from October 20, 2015\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.thecurrent.org\/2015\/10\/20\/\"><time datetime=\"2015-10-20T11:32:38+00:00\">October 20, 2015<\/time><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Pearl Single Review<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The UK singer-songwriter transplant that now calls our skies home,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/katyvernon.com\/\">Katy Vernon<\/a>, is strumming those four happy ukulele strings on her new release&nbsp;<em>Present<\/em>. The record jumps off with \u201c23.\u201d It\u2019s a vibrant introduction to the dark material hiding behind those bright tones and shimmering vocals. Vernon may be warm and fuzzy on the surface, but take a closer listen for a darker tone. Add her to your Sunday calendar for her show at&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.icehousempls.com\/events\/2015\/10\/25\/katy-vernon-cd-release-kevin-bowe\">Icehouse<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Present Reviews<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Album of the year (Country\/Folk) L&#8217;Etoile Magazine 2015<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Top Ten Album of the year #6 Pioneer Press 2015<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Top Ten local song of the year #8 (PEARL) The Current 89.3 2015<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Top albums of the year Rift Magazine 2015<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">ALBUM OF THE YEAR&nbsp;(Country\/Folk): Katy Vernon,&nbsp;<em>Present 2015<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">PRESENT &#8211; Review by Jon Hunt, letoilemagazine.com<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;When Katy Vernon released her debut <em>Before I Forget<\/em> a few years ago, I called it an unrepentantly happy album \u2014 the delightfully folky songs\u2019 inner sadness was bolstered and balanced by tons of totally contagious&nbsp;hope.&nbsp;It would have been super damn easy for her to just release <em>Before I Forget vol. 2<\/em> and be just fine \u2014 people love \u201cgirl with ukelele singing sweet country-tinged folk songs\u201d and a lesser artist probably would have just rested on those particular laurels. Instead, and quite amazingly, this record is a rich, fully-formed, brightly colored work of the kind of British pop that was popular in the late 80s and early 90s \u2014 think World Party, think The Wonder Stuff, think latter-day Tears for Fears, even. Dammit, that is <em>ambitious<\/em>, and a little unexpected (the influences come as a bit of a delightful surprise to me, as I adore that era of music), and as a result, <em>Present<\/em> is a kind of mini-masterpiece of melancholy&nbsp;and very British pop music, full of richly-drawn, delightfully developed melodies, gorgeous singing and lyric-writing and tons of great playing. The big hit: \u201cPearl,\u201d which would have sounded absolutely right on any radio station in 1990, all electric-piano punches and sweet jangle and a wordless hook that will drill into your skull. Equally great: \u201cAll Fall Down,\u201d which has a kind of righteously twangy guitar up atop and a gorgeous verse melody. There\u2019s still uke, don\u2019t worry \u2014 \u201cLily\u201d is a delightfully cheery and jaunty piece of British music-hall, and&nbsp;\u201cHeart Is In Your Hands\u201d uses the instrument to oddly sad (and stunningly beautiful) effect (it\u2019s usually quite a cheery thing, no?). It\u2019s just not the main instrument anymore \u2014 that honor belongs to Vernon\u2019s gorgeous and slightly-wavery voice which is itself quite a marvel, especially on \u201cHeart,\u201d which has a truly and marvelously heart-wrenching chorus. I\u2019m happy to be a little surprised at this album\u2019s ambition \u2014 the album elevates Vernon way above mere novelty (where she <em>never<\/em> was to begin with, thank you very much, however much people wanted to pigeonhole her into that) into a damn important local songwriter, and one to be reckoned with. Doubters take note: this is one of the three or four best local albums of the year however you want to cut it.&#8221; Jon Hunt, <a href=\"https:\/\/letoilemagazine.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">letoilemagazine.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;With her first album, Vernon made it known that she was a standout singer and songwriter, even in the sea of talent that exists in the Twin Cities. <em>Present<\/em> shows us her emotional depth and precision, along with heavy doses of insight, pop sensibility and irresistible charm. The woman who writes sad songs on a happy instrument is feeling pretty good about life. This album will make you feel that way, too.&#8221; <strong>Chris Reimenschneider &#8211; Star Tribune<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Her roots have been firmly planted as one of the Twin Cities\u2019 most beloved folky singer\/songwriters. Her newest album, \u201cPresent,\u201d at once shows off her blooming relationship with her local band \u2014 with whom she will promote the album Sunday at Icehouse in south Minneapolis \u2014 as well as it touts her happy home life in White Bear Lake. One of the standout songs, \u201cLily,\u201d jubilantly compares her eldest of two daughters to her favorite Crayola colors, while the ballad \u201cHeart Is in Your Hands\u201d celebrates motherhood. And the romantic gem \u201cLoud\u201d \u2014 well, let\u2019s just say it sounds a bit randy.&#8221;<strong> Star Tribune, October 23, 2015 &#8211; by Chris Riemenschneider<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We don\u2019t know&nbsp;if you can even call British ex-pat Katy Vernon folk anymore \u2014 sure, she still twangs the uke and carries a nifty folk sensibility through this album. But&nbsp;<em>Present<\/em>&nbsp;shows her growing by such remarkable leaps and bounds that she could be equally considered \u201crock,\u201d or \u201c80s-inflected sophisti-pop\u201d if you\u2019re into such narrowcast labels. There\u2019s no question that it caught on, too:&nbsp;tons of airplay for \u201cLily\u201d and \u201cPearl\u201d and a million ever-growing shows proves that there\u2019s something about her sensibility \u2014 sad, sure, but optimistic, and sweet and just a little bit cute \u2014 that appeals massively to Minneapolis audiences. Which is great: she\u2019s also that rare artist that got where she is later in life through sheer chutzpah and hard work rather than any kind of artificially-manufactured buzz. And smart-as-hell music \u2014 there\u2019s no denying the beautiful, brainy lyricism of a song like \u201c23\u201d or the delightfully wistful&nbsp;\u201cOut Of My Depth\u201d or the coyly bouncy \u201cPlay.\u201d This is what happens when you\u2019ve got a ton of talent and you came up in the UK in the late-80s \u2014 you absorb all that cool and eventually filter it into your sensibility, yeah? Guessing there\u2019s more\/better to come, too.&nbsp;\u2013 <strong>Jon Hunt &#8211; l&#8217;\u00e9toile&nbsp;magazine<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Present is a kind of mini-masterpiece of melancholy and very British pop music, full of richly drawn, delightfully developed melodies, gorgeous singing and lyric-writing and tons of great playing.&#8221; <strong>Richard Larson &#8211; Southern MN Scene.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Before I Forget: Released 2012<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;<strong>Before I Forget<\/strong> might be Katy Vernon\u2019s first solo outing, but it won\u2019t be her last. With her strong vocal presence and sharp songwriting, she has the strong possibility of becoming a force in the indie\/folk genre. This album is worth a listen, and I highly recommend it.&#8221;<br><strong>By Nick Habisch, Rift Magazine<\/strong><br><a href=\"&lt;\/strong\">https:\/\/<strong>riftmagazine<\/strong>2.wordpress.com\/2013\/04\/17\/review-katy-vernon-before-i-forget\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;<strong>Before I Forget<\/strong>&#8221; showcases her willowy siren voice and ukulele-plucked, autumnal back-porch folk songs.<br><strong>Chris Reimenschneider, Minneapolis Star Tribune<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;&#8221;<strong>Before I Forget<\/strong>&#8221; is Vernon\u2019s first solo album, her compositions are fairly sparse, leaving plenty of room for her songbird-like voice and her ever-present ukulele. There is a beauty and hope in Vernon\u2019s voice that ultimately makes the songs feel uplifting. &#8220;<br><strong>Andrea Swennson, Local Current Blog<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;&#8221;<strong>Before I Forget<\/strong>&#8221; is simply lovely; a celebratory, timeless, old-timey romp yes, romp, you heard me), the kind that doesn\u2019t get made anymore, really. If you\u2019re looking for a great record for a sun-dappled fall drive, this is your monster, my friends.&#8221;<br><strong>Jon Hunt, Le&#8217;toile Magazine<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;After all, you\u2019d hate to be in the middle of a world-changing conversation, catch one of Katy Vernon\u2019s songs out of the corner of your ear, and find yourself standing there, leaving you wondering what the hell you were talking about a minute ago. &#8220;<br><strong>Dwight Hobbes, TC Daily Planet<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This debut solo CD from the London-born singer-songwriter, who used to front the local band the Camdens, is a deeply moving set of songs focused on family connections that continue to bring joy and heartache&#8221;.<br><strong>Dan Israel, Star Tribune.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>&#8220;Katy Vernon finds her voice<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A year ago, folk artist Katy Vernon recorded her first song in her bathroom, accompanied by only her ukulele. She wasn&#8217;t happy with the quality of the recording, but it was enough to win the support of a small troop of fans and raise enough Kickstarter money to record a proper album. That record, Before I Forget, comes out next month.&#8221;<br><strong>Andrea Swenson, The Current.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br>2012&nbsp; <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.thecurrent.org\/post\/2012\/09\/friday-five-mint-condition-meme-kevin-bowe-and-more\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/blog.thecurrent.org\/post\/2012\/09\/friday-five-mint-condition-meme-kevin-bowe-and-more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Katy Vernon&#8217;s first band &#8216;The Camdens&#8217;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cKaty Vernon&#8217;s floating vocalizations can gently caress or peak with a high-flying quality\u201d<br>Minneapolis Star Tribune<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSuch sweet melodies, commanding, heart-lost vocals\u201d<br>PULSE of the Twin Cities<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cShould please fans of the Sundays, the Smiths, and Everything But the Girl alike.\u201d<br>Minneapolis City Pages<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As lead singer for the group &#8216;The Camdens&#8217;, Katy played all over the Twin Cities. She was also nominated for a&nbsp;Minnesota Music Award&nbsp;for her song &#8216;Invitation&#8217; which was competing for Song Of The Year. Limited Quantities of &#8216;Halfway Around the World&#8217; by The Camdens available at shows&nbsp;<em>(If you know the special handshake!)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Radio<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mprnews.org\/topic\/minnesota-sounds-and-voices\">https:\/\/www.mprnews.org\/story\/2014\/10\/03\/ukuleleWomenFolk\u2019 Find of the month for KFAI Radio, Sept 2012.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Favourite Girl &#8220;I&#8217;ve been wanting to catch veteran Minnesota artist Katy Vernon&#8217;s new group and I&#8217;m glad I did. A woman\/femme-forward rock band that manages to be defiant, optimistic and empowering all at once.&#8220;Adventures In Americana Blog. \u201c2025 brings new changes, and along with those changes brings a new layer of creativity to Katy Vernon&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/katyvernon.com\/?page_id=27\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">News and Reviews<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-27","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/katyvernon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/27","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/katyvernon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/katyvernon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/katyvernon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/katyvernon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=27"}],"version-history":[{"count":146,"href":"https:\/\/katyvernon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/27\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3752,"href":"https:\/\/katyvernon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/27\/revisions\/3752"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/katyvernon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=27"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}