The indie-pop trio of Katie Gavin, Naomi McPherson, and Josette Maskin operate on an ever-changing mood and emotion through their music.
“We’re chaos vibes,” McPherson said. Every album release brings some chaos.
For Muna, sending its third album to the public meant that everything had to start anew. The group played at Lollapalooza on Jimmy Fallon’s show before its debut album, “About U,” came out in 2017, then opened for Harry Styles and released “Saves the World” in 2019.
However, their label RCA, dropped the band months into the pandemic, and as a result, Muna was devastated. Despite the setbacks, Muna went back to work making new songs. A friend of a friend had rented them a studio in her basement, and the band started showing up daily. They tested out songs day after day for new and inclusive music.
One of them had finally achieved what they had never had before: a viral hit. “Life’s so fun, life’s so fun,” Gavin’s “Silk Chiffon,” which features Phoebe Bridgers, has boomed across TikTok, soundtracking cookie dough tutorials, hangovers, and many other videos. The rest of “Muna” is filled with fizzy songs, sometimes describing rollerblading through the night that barrel over slick, sputtering synths or unique themes such as homosexuality.
Motivated by the success of “Silk Chiffon,” the band is now on the verge of bringing its anthems about queer joy to a broader audience. But happiness isn’t always there for the members or their songs. Muna started at the University of Southern California, where McPherson saw Gavin at the campus and thought, “That girl is cool.” The feeling was mutual, and they bonded, and Gavin introduced McPherson to Maskin at a party. Immediately, they started making music and testing new music between classes. Gavin sings lead vocals and plays guitar; Maskin (guitar) and McPherson (guitar and keys) broader work on the production.
Years later, one fundamental part of their songwriting process is still the same: Muna knows when to stop. The band likes to implement what McPherson calls “princess work”; they work with songs for a few hours each day and stop just when a track starts to click into place.
“You try to retain the magic,” Maskin said. The group spends the rest of its time hanging out and relaxing. Despite being so relaxed and carefree, this part of their workflow is central to their process.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/22/arts/music/muna-band-interview.html
“We’re chaos vibes,” McPherson said. Every album release brings some chaos.
For Muna, sending its third album to the public meant that everything had to start anew. The group played at Lollapalooza on Jimmy Fallon’s show before its debut album, “About U,” came out in 2017, then opened for Harry Styles and released “Saves the World” in 2019.
However, their label RCA, dropped the band months into the pandemic, and as a result, Muna was devastated. Despite the setbacks, Muna went back to work making new songs. A friend of a friend had rented them a studio in her basement, and the band started showing up daily. They tested out songs day after day for new and inclusive music.
One of them had finally achieved what they had never had before: a viral hit. “Life’s so fun, life’s so fun,” Gavin’s “Silk Chiffon,” which features Phoebe Bridgers, has boomed across TikTok, soundtracking cookie dough tutorials, hangovers, and many other videos. The rest of “Muna” is filled with fizzy songs, sometimes describing rollerblading through the night that barrel over slick, sputtering synths or unique themes such as homosexuality.
Motivated by the success of “Silk Chiffon,” the band is now on the verge of bringing its anthems about queer joy to a broader audience. But happiness isn’t always there for the members or their songs. Muna started at the University of Southern California, where McPherson saw Gavin at the campus and thought, “That girl is cool.” The feeling was mutual, and they bonded, and Gavin introduced McPherson to Maskin at a party. Immediately, they started making music and testing new music between classes. Gavin sings lead vocals and plays guitar; Maskin (guitar) and McPherson (guitar and keys) broader work on the production.
Years later, one fundamental part of their songwriting process is still the same: Muna knows when to stop. The band likes to implement what McPherson calls “princess work”; they work with songs for a few hours each day and stop just when a track starts to click into place.
“You try to retain the magic,” Maskin said. The group spends the rest of its time hanging out and relaxing. Despite being so relaxed and carefree, this part of their workflow is central to their process.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/22/arts/music/muna-band-interview.html
