Twin Cities metro musicians release protest song to raise funds for ACLU-MN
Musicians across the Twin Cities Metro area have released a protest song to raise money for the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota.
"I wrote this song on the day that Alex Pretti was murdered," said Katy Vernon, musician and songwriter of "They Lie."
"It all came out in a stream of emotion," Vernon said. "Seeing the murders of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, it just felt like the city was under attack."
Katy Vernon, a British immigrant, said she wrote the song as an emotional response to how DHS officials responded to Pretti's death.
"The storylines of everything we saw, anyone who watched. It was so obvious that what we were then told by at least two spokespeople from the administration was so obviously a lie," said Vernon.
She did it with the help of Kevin Bowe, who produced the song using his guitar, bass and keyboard; Paul Odegaard contributed the trumpet and Peter Anderson on the drums.
"We got this dreamy feeling on top of all this aggression and I think that the mix of those two things bumping against each other. It felt like how we were in Minneapolis, back to this sadness and anger," said Bowe. "That's what brought the track together."
In addition to the single, Vernon reached out to fellow musician Jason Chaffee to help create a music video.
"He was out on the streets, in his own neighborhood. Filming neighbors and ICE activity, and at Whipple. He was out there daily," said Vernon. "When I wrote this song, I reached out to him and asked if he would be interested."
Released on Jan. 20, Chaffee's music video features moments he captured while being out at protests and memorials.
Operation Metro Surge has sparked ongoing debates in Minnesota over immigration enforcement tactics and their effects on local communities.
For Bowe, music and intentional lyrics are important in times of tragedy.
"That's what artists do. Farmers grow crops, artists write songs. This is what's happening right now, and what's motivating us," said Bowe. "Of the best lyrics ever written, are that; where they just say it."
Each sale of the single "They Lie" will go towards ACLU Minnesota.
"The reason I wanted to shine a light on all of this and raise money for the ACLU Minnesota. The ACLU is one part of who is going to hold people accountable for this," said Vernon.
