Folk duo hopes to inspire more female musicians in North Iowa | Entertainment

When Betsy Kirby and Joan Estlund of the folk duo juni + betty met up as guest performers in each other’s respective acts in 2018, they knew they instantly clicked, both personally and musically.

And the two have been performing covers and original songs across North Iowa ever since.

“It was just an instant fit honestly. There was hardly any work to it and when [Kirby] opened her mouth and sang along, it just felt perfect,” said Estlund, who also performs as Juni West alongside her backing band.

“I invited [Estlund] to sing with me on a song with my band and it was so fun and just so easy,” said Kirby, who leads the variety pop and rock group Betty and the Gents. “She asked if I wouldn’t mind recording a Christmas series. So a lot of December of 2018 was spent at her house recording Christmas music. It was just fun and we just kept going because we had so many ideas.”

After forming their duo, Kirby and Estlund had their first official performance in June at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake. 

“There were jitters, but I couldn’t have asked for a better first performance, because we got to perform at the Surf,” Estlund said. “That in itself is a nice venue, and we had a great turnout.”

The duo said they draw influence from “strong female singers” whose performances inform the duo’s creative and vocal stylings. For Estlund, indie rock performers St. Vincent and Phoebe Bridgers spark creativity, while Kirby gleans inspiration from folk musicians Jennifer Knapp and Ingrid Michaelson.

Estland and Kirby hope their performances inspire other female musicians in North Iowa to step in front of the mic.

“Bands don’t have to be male-led. There’s no rule that says they have to be all men,” said Kirby.

Moving into 2022, the duo hopes to incorporate more visual elements in their shows, and develop merchandise. Kirby added that a personal goal for herself is to get back into the rhythm of songwriting.

“Songwriting is so weird. It’ll wake you up in the middle of the night and you have to get it down before it disappears,” Kirby said.

The next show for juni + betty will be in February at Worth Brewing Company in Northwood. The two will also have shows in March in Lake Mills and in Mason City.

“I would say if you like music, you like singer-songwriters like Bob Dylan or even The Beatles, and strong melody and strong writing, you’ll probably like our show,” said Estlund.