Muna’s lead vocalist, Katie Gavin, is releasing her first solo album. The new album, What a Relief, is out October 25 via Phoebe Bridgers’ Saddest Factory Records. Leading the LP is “Aftertaste,” which arrives with a video that Gavin co-directed with Alexa Viscius. Find it below.
“That song takes place inside of the magnetic force, when I’m really drawn to somebody and still feeling like it’s gonna work,” Gavin said of “Aftertaste” in a press statement. “Sometimes it’s fun to surrender to that feeling—I think a lot of songwriters have a strong relationship with romantic fantasy.”
Gavin added, “Naomi McPherson helped me come up with the idea for the video, in which I’m the subject of a nude drawing class, and Alexa Viscius co-directed with me and brought in an amazing team of Chicago creatives to bring it to fruition. Filming in the city I’m from felt very right for introducing this solo work. Back to my roots, if you will.”
What a Relief includes a song featuring Mitski called “As Good as It Gets.” Discussing her new album, Gavin stated, “This record spans a lot of my life—it’s about having a really deep desire for connection, but also encountering all the obstacles that stood in my way to be able to achieve that, patterns of isolation or even boredom with the real work of love. What a Relief explores and portrays it honestly, without shame.”
Muna recently performed at Pitchfork Music Festival 2024, playing tracks from Muna, Saves the World, and more. The pop trio also did “Ironic” with headliner Alanis Morissette.
