Interview: Pretty Fierce
What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?
KATRINA-MARIE HOWSON - "I have been performing since I was 6 years old and being involved in the school plays and nativities just made me so obsessed with the idea of that one day becoming my job. I continued through school and college with my performing and then went straight onto auditions and that's what got me here today. I could not imagine not doing performing as my career choice but I would probably go into teaching or running my own business in some regard. I never really had a plan B”
Georgie Ryan - "I’ve loved music for as long as I can remember! I’ve always had a passion for dancing and that stemmed from how music made me feel. Singing and dancing have always been my way of expressing myself and have been what I turn to no matter what is going on in my life. I discovered my love of song writing about 5 years ago and found it to be so therapeutic."
What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?
KATRINA-MARIE HOWSON - "When I am not doing anything music/performing related - I like to focus on fashion and beauty. I am such a huge fan of putting outfits together, makeup, skincare, and genuinely think I have an obsession! This is part of being a performer, I can imagine myself wearing certain clothes/styles and know exactly what I want to wear!”
Georgie Ryan - "I love dancing and choreography aside from music, but the inspiration for that comes from the music itself… It just makes me want to dance!"
How long has your band been around?
KATRINA-MARIE HOWSON - "Georgie and I met at an audition a few years ago, and didn't get through so we kinda set up our own plans and through that, we found Macey and Ayanda and the rest is history and magic happened”
Georgie Ryan - "We have been a complete band since the Summer 2019."
How did you come up with the name of your band and what does it mean to you?
KATRINA-MARIE HOWSON - "Pretty Fierce is like ying and yang. We're youthful and fun and soft but also on the other hand, don't mess with us because we're fierce and sassy and not to be taken for granted. We think it's got longevity in it and we really think it represents us so well. This is the first name we've agreed on that just works and naturally happened”
Georgie Ryan - "Finding a name is not easy, no matter what, some people will love it and some will hate it. In the end we decided to go for something that demonstrated being strong and soft all at the same time. We want everyone to be confident in themselves and to embrace every part of who they are."
Tell me about your most memorable shows.
KATRINA-MARIE HOWSON - "All girl-groups I have seen live have absolutely left a lasting mark on me and I just can't wait to hopefully have that impact on people”
Georgie Ryan - "Personally my most memorable performance with the girls is the first time we performed for Mark at his studio in Leicester. We had been learning the song for a couple of days and were laying down the vocals, then last minute were told Mark wanted us to perform it for him. We just through ourselves into it with no proper rehearsal and just went for it! It was such a good feeling as we were so passionate about the song and singing it with the girls just felt right, like the stars had aligned."
What is your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already?
KATRINA-MARIE HOWSON - "The pandemic has prevented us from playing out and we kinda kept our music under wraps until it was the right time to release it and show it to the world. We cannot wait to get out there and perform for people. The dream venue is Manchester Arena for me because it's where I've seen most of my concerts and I am from the North so that would be very special to me. The o2 arena in London obviously, and for the BRIT’s"
Georgie Ryan - "We want to perform everywhere! Whether that be to small audiences or in arenas.. we just want to put on a show and for people to be out of their seats dancing with us!"
If you could play any show with any lineup, who would be on the ticket?
KATRINA-MARIE HOWSON - "We would be honoured to be in a lineup with anyone. Doja Cat right now would be amazing!”
Georgie Ryan - "There are so many artists that it would be amazing to perform alongside! I think for me it would have to be someone that really puts on a show and a big performance like Bruno Mars!"
What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into playing in a band and some advice that you would give to your younger self?
KATRINA-MARIE HOWSON - "I would tell them to absolutely go for it, never let anyone tell you what to do with your life and if you enjoy it then what is the harm? There is always room for creatives/more artists.
I would tell my younger self to never give up, keep working hard, believe in yourself and trust in the process as everything happens for a reason. Don't be so hard on yourself Katrina.”Georgie Ryan - "For anyone looking to be in a band, my advice would be to leave your ego at the door… it is not your amigo! It is so important in a group to value one another and what you all bring to the table because without each one of you, it is a completely different band. You have to encourage one another and be there for each other because it can be a mean world out there sometimes and you’ve got to have that support network and love between you. My advice to my younger self would be to believe in myself more and to not put myself down so much."
If you could go back in time and give yourselves advice, what would it be?
KATRINA-MARIE HOWSON - "Do what you want to do, don't let anyone tell you what to do with your life - follow your dreams, and never ever doubt yourself”
Georgie Ryan - "If I could go back in time and give myself advice it would be to stop being so hard on myself. I used to put myself down constantly and didn’t see myself in a good light AT ALL.. As a performer it’s vital you have that confidence and I was lacking in that. it’s still something I’m working on but I’m starting to realise that there is only one me and THAT is my power and that goes for all of us."
Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?
KATRINA-MARIE HOWSON - "Ready For Me" is our baby for now and we need to focus on that one but there are a few close favourites that have been written that are coming up, you'll have to keep your eyes peeled! I love all of them for different reasons and it depends on my mood but I am all about the lyrics"
Georgie Ryan - "There are a few, ‘Ready For Me’ because it feels like the song that gave us our identity and direction and the minute we heard it we all loved it. We also have a song called ‘Only Live Once’ that we haven’t released yet but it is one of the first songs that we wrote together during the first lockdown, we were in our bedrooms on a video call and were fed up of being stuck inside, we wanted to write something about going out with your friends (because this is something we couldn’t do at the time) and living life to the full.. so that one will always have a special place in my heart."
Which songs are your favourite to play and which get requested the most?
KATRINA-MARIE HOWSON - "Hopefully Ready For Me gets requested! We cannot wait for people to hear more from us!”
What is the creative process for the band, and what inspires you to write your music?
KATRINA-MARIE HOWSON -"Georgie and I have wrote most of the songs so far, as we just have the bug for it at the moment and we absolutely loved doing it together over zoom throughout the pandemic. We show the girls the songs and we usually just get in the studio and record some bits and it goes from there usually”
Georgie Ryan - "We all contribute creatively, we have written in twos, individually and all together, and we have also had songs written for us by some amazing song writers. In the studio we work together to establish what harmonies work well and take things in turns to decide who will sing each part. Sometimes we will choreograph routines for our performances and we all play a part in our styling as well. So we all contribute to the creative process."
What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?
KATRINA-MARIE HOWSON - "We want to write songs about reality and things that we go through. We also want to make sure that everyone can relate and feels represented - inclusivity is a massive deal for us.”
Georgie Ryan - "To have fun! Live every moment and love who you are."
Do you ever have disagreements in your band, and how do you get past them?
KATRINA-MARIE HOWSON - "We are four young girls, of course we have our disagreements but there is a a lot of respect and we know each others boundaries but we are also the best support system for each other. We just talk. Communication is the key for everything.”
Georgie Ryan - "Sometimes, it’s natural that in a group you’re not always going to agree on everything, but it all comes down to respect. If you respect one another things won’t get out of hand and at the end of the day it’s about what is best for the group overall, it’s important to not take things personally and to respect each persons opinion. We have a strong bond and have been through a lot together and we never lose sight of that."
What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up?
KATRINA-MARIE HOWSON - "At the moment we just want to give Ready For Me it's time and then release more music this year too and hopefully get to perform!”
Georgie Ryan - "Right now we are focussing on this single. We have more music to release in the future that we cannot wait for everyone to hear but right now it’s all about ‘Ready For Me.’"