Twin Cities Musicians Release Protest Song to Benefit ACLU-MN

The song "They Lie" was written in response to recent high-profile deaths and aims to raise funds for the civil liberties organization.

Feb. 22, 2026 at 12:20am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Musicians across the Twin Cities Metro area have released a protest song called "They Lie" to raise money for the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota. The song was written by Katy Vernon as an emotional response to the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, and the perceived lies from government officials about the incidents. Vernon collaborated with other local musicians Kevin Bowe, Paul Odegaard, and Peter Anderson to produce the track, which features a mix of dreamy and aggressive sounds. A music video for the song was also created by fellow musician Jason Chaffee, who captured footage of protests and memorials in his own neighborhood.

Why it matters

The release of this protest song comes amid ongoing debates in Minnesota over immigration enforcement tactics and their effects on local communities. The artists hope to use their platform to shine a light on these issues and raise funds for the ACLU-MN, which they see as an important organization in holding authorities accountable.

The details

Katy Vernon, a British immigrant, wrote the song "They Lie" on the day that Alex Pretti was murdered, saying it "all came out in a stream of emotion" in response to the killings of Pretti and Renee Good. Vernon collaborated with local musicians Kevin Bowe, Paul Odegaard, and Peter Anderson to produce the track, which they say blends a "dreamy feeling" with "aggression" to capture the sadness and anger felt in Minneapolis. In addition to the single, Vernon reached out to musician Jason Chaffee to create a music video featuring footage he captured of protests and memorials in his own neighborhood.

  • The song "They Lie" was released on January 20th.
  • The deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good that inspired the song occurred prior to the song's release.

The players

Katy Vernon

A British immigrant and musician/songwriter who wrote the protest song "They Lie" in response to the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good.

Kevin Bowe

A local musician who produced the song "They Lie" using his guitar, bass, and keyboard.

Paul Odegaard

A local musician who contributed trumpet to the song "They Lie".

Peter Anderson

A local musician who played drums on the song "They Lie".

Jason Chaffee

A local musician who created the music video for the song "They Lie", featuring footage he captured of protests and memorials in his own neighborhood.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“I wrote this song on the day that Alex Pretti was murdered. It all came out in a stream of emotion. Seeing the murders of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, it just felt like the city was under attack.”

— Katy Vernon, Musician and songwriter (cbsnews.com)

“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.”

— Katy Vernon, Musician and songwriter (cbsnews.com)

“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.”

— Kevin Bowe, Musician and producer (cbsnews.com)

“That's what artists do. Farmers grow crops, artists write songs. This is what's happening right now, and what's motivating us.”

— Kevin Bowe, Musician and producer (cbsnews.com)

What’s next

The song "They Lie" is available for purchase, with all proceeds going to the ACLU-MN.

The takeaway

This protest song represents the Twin Cities music community's response to recent high-profile deaths and perceived government misinformation, using their art to raise awareness and funds for the ACLU-MN to help hold authorities accountable.