MUNA's Katie Gavin to Release Debut Solo Album; Shares Lead Single 'Aftertaste'

On her debut solo album What A Relief, to be released on October 25th, Katie Gavin proves herself as one of her generation’s most deft songwriters, able to articulate discomfiting feelings with grace and pragmatism. What A Relief scrutinizes our collective need for intimacy and romance without judgment or harshness. 

Now, Gavin is releasing “Aftertaste” a song which indulges in the headrush of new romance, effortless in the way all Gavin’s best pop songs are. “Aftertaste” leaps and stumbles forward toward desire, its recklessness part of the fun. “That song takes place inside of the magnetic force, when I’m really drawn to somebody and still feeling like it’s gonna work,” she says. “Sometimes it’s fun to surrender to that feeling – I think a lot of songwriters have a strong relationship with romantic fantasy.”

"I thought this song would be a good place to start because to me it kind of serves as a bridge, sonically and thematically, between MUNA’s world and the world we are going to with the solo record,” Gavin says of the track.

“‘Aftertaste’ is a sweet song about carrying a torch for someone, realizing that you are going out to concerts and parties hoping to run into them there. The song is a playing out of a fantasy, really, both because it involves confessing your crush and finding out that it is reciprocated.

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." 

Described, accurately, by Gavin as “Lilith Fair-core,” What A Relief taps into the unguarded self-possession and homespun pop sensibility of singers like Alanis Morissette, Fiona Apple and Ani DiFranco, and uses their tenacity as a North Star for Gavin’s own trek towards self-discovery. 

Gavin tells us “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” she  says. “What A Relief explores and portrays it honestly, without shame.”

The resulting songs are stark, truthful and generous, drawing on experiences that are often felt but hard to put into words.

MUNA is set to play the historic Newport Folk Festival this weekend where Gavin will also be playing a special, intimate debut live performance. She will also be embarking on a national tour this fall playing intimate rooms across the US as well as a show in London in what will be a memorable night of music. All dates are listed below. 

TOUR DATES

July 27 - Newport Folk Festival - Newport, RI*^

Sep 7 - Evanston Folk Festival - Evanston, IL*

Sep 11 - The Old Church - London, UK^

Nov 19 - Neumos - Seattle WA^

Nov 20 - The Old Church - Portland OR^

Nov 22 - Bimbo's 365 Club - SF, CA^

Nov 24 - Pappy + Harriet's - Pioneertown, CA^

Nov 25 - Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever - Los Angeles, CA^

Dec 8 - The Blue Room - Nashville, TN^

Dec 10 - Bowery Ballroom - NY, NY^

Dec 13 - The Atlantis - Washington DC^

Dec 14 - Brighton Music Hall - Boston, MA^

Dec 16 - The Great Hall - Toronto, ON^

Dec 18 - Thalia Hall - Chicago, IL^

* w/ MUNA

^ headline

What A Relief Tracklisting

1. I Want It All

2. Aftertaste

3. The Baton

4. Casual Drug Use

5. As Good As It Gets ft. Mitski

6. Sanitized

7. Sketches

8. Inconsolable

9. Sparrow

10. Sweet Abby Girl

11. Keep Walking

12. Today

Photo credit: Alexa Viscius

To post a comment, you must register and login.