Last month, I was at the fantastic Loud Women Fest, and one of the bands that stood out the most for me were Vernon Jane. The Irish band’s performance stood out for me as lead singer Emily Jane was a true force of nature- full of charisma, energy and the most incredible voice. Despite the fact that they were performing early in the day, they played as if they were headliners.
Vernon Jane formed back in 2017, and released their debut ‘The Ritual of Lovemaking’ in 2020. They have already built up a positive reputation through extensive touring of both the UK and Ireland. In addition to singer Emily, the other members of the band are: Ricky Lahart on bass, Niamh Casey on drums, Daragh Mayon on percussion, Alex Harvey on guitar, Sean Cunningham on Saxophone and Shane Clear on the trumpet.
The curiously titled ‘Chestpains and Sidepieces’ is the second album from the band. This album has already had success, with it winning the Choice Music Prize for Irish album of the year. Vernon Jane are a band that musically are hard to describe. They blend so many genres, to create something unique and interesting. This album has hints of ska, rap, rock, jazz. I couldn’t even make a comparison to another band that’s similar, as there is none. Even the bands they cite as influences cover a wide range- Frank Zappa, Radiohead, and A Tribe Called Quest among others. However, what does link all the songs together is Emily’s powerful, emotional voice.
The songs cover deep emotional topics like break ups, low self esteem, depression and addiction. This is not to say this album will drag you down, most certainly not. While there are more ballad like moments such as song ‘Praying to Angels’, there are also epic bangers like ‘Between my Knees and Needs’. This song is emotive, but fusing rock, rap into a completely immersive experience. ‘In Tune’ is another epic rocker, with kick ass trumpets to boot.
‘Chestpains and Sidepieces’ is available now and you can buy on Vernon Jane’s Bandcamp
You can find Vernon Jane on Socials: Instagram/Facebook
Article by Hayley Foster da Silva
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