That Girl

The First Time LA pop group Muna chatted to Bbc News , they were a fresh young band about to play their first ever show in the UK.

Lead singer Katie Gavin was nervy with anticipation (" does The Venue have a stage? " ) while her bandmates simply wanted to sample UK culture.

" I had a veggie pie The Other night, " declared guitarist Naomi McPherson. " Those things are. "

Six Years later, they're back for a sold-out UK tour, playing major venues Like London's Roundhouse and Manchester's Albert Hall . But their journey has been far from easy.

Muna formed in 2013 at the University of Southern California . after McPherson spotted Gavin cycling through the campus and told a friend: " That Girl 's cool. "

Later, they Hooked Up with fellow guitarist Josette Maskin at a party and wrote their First Song while Everyone Else got drunk.

Gavin immediately proved to be a sharp lyricist, telling compassionate and precise Stories of heartbreak, intimacy, and the complications of Growing Up queer (all three members identify as queer and McPherson is non-binary).

The synth-pop anthem talked about finding a sense of belonging in gay clubs, while was a defiant riposte to bigots everywhere: " ".

Critics loved them. their music was " what relatability feels Like to people who've always felt different". Harry Styles invited them On Tour . Taylor Swift included them on playlists.

But despite the acclaim, they remained a cult band signed to a major label, and when the pandemic Hit , they were dropped as part of a cost-cutting drive.

For a moment, they were left adrift. Gavin admits they considered packing it All In . But then they found a White Knight , or maybe it was a guardian Angel . . Either Way , it was indie star Phoebe Bridgers , who'd been a fan for years.

" Phoebe's manager had made it very clear that if we were ever single, she'd be interested in working With Us , " says Gavin.

" So we had a conversation pretty shortly after we were dropped and she was Like , 'I love everything you're doing and I would Like to support you so you can keep doing it'. "

Once Bridgers signed Muna to her Saddest Factory Records label in 2021, their fortunes changed overnight.

Their self-titled third Album became their first record to chart in the UK and US; and The Lead single, a girl crush anthem called Silk Chiffon, was a certifiable Smash Hit - thanks partly to a guest verse from their New Boss .

" The whole situation is an indicator of how we're subconsciously rebellious, " says McPherson. " When we were on a major label we didn't want to make a big pop song and now that we're on an indie, it's Like , 'Well, Go On then, Why Not have a bit of fun? !'"

Silk Chiffon exposed Muna to a whole new audience, something they discovered belatedly, after setting out On Tour this summer.

" People didn't really know a lot of the older songs, " says McPherson. " We were Like , 'Oh my gosh, does that mean they're new fans?'

" So we started asking people, 'Hey, who hasn't been to a show before? Raise your hand!' And sometimes it'd be 75% of a crowd. We talk about it all The Time . "

Older fans will know that the breezy sound of Silk Chiffon, with its fluttering harmonies and flirtatious lyrics, is a big departure for Muna.

It illustrates a new way of thinking for Gavin, who has struggled with anxiety, body dysmorphia and Other People 's homophobia her entire adult life.

" As people who experience an array of different marginalised identities, what is The Point if you're not trying to find some happiness? " she says.

" If you're not seeking that out it's not going to present itself to you. So you kind of have to make an effort to be happy, even though that sounds a bit cringe.

" And we feel very touched that Other People who struggle resonated with The Song and are It's very sweet and important to us. "

The positivity and hopefulness of Silk Chiffon continues throughout The Band 's new Album .

is a thunderous, post-pandemic ode to going absolutely berserk on a Night Out . describes the relief of escaping a bad relationship. is about treating yourself with kindness.

" " sings Gavin over a subdued guitar lick. " "

Like many Muna songs, it was prompted by The End of a relationship, But This Time " there was a difference in The Way that I handled that pain, " says Gavin.

" Historically if I'm in pain, I actually want to make it more painful. But That Night , I went on a walk by the LA River and I went to dinner and watched The Sun go down and did something nice for myself at a time when I was really hurting - and I felt a swell of gratitude for this new ability to make things easier [for myself] instead of making them harder. "

It's an idea Gavin makes explicit on another track, the Shania Twain-influenced Kind Of Girl.

With lyrical call-backs to Muna's previous albums, she describes herself as someone who " presses a little too hard" and is " in love with the pain". But instead of dwelling on those emotions, as she would have in The Past , Gavin resolves to evolve.

", " she sings. "

The 29-year-old says The Song was inspired by studying her old lyrics.

" I was concerned About Writing the same song over and over, " she says, " and so I was confronted with My Own patterns, in a way that someone who's not a songwriter maybe wouldn't be. "

" I was Like , 'Wow, I'm really doing the same stuff over and over again. So if I want to continue, I need to make some new choices because I deserve to feel better.

" And part of The Reason I to feel better is because I wanted to show up for this group - so it's beautiful that it All Ends up going back into the songs and we can share that with Other People . "

That belief, in giving a voice to marginalised people Like themselves, is what unites The Band .

" Part of The Reason I was attracted to [The Group ] is because when Katie wrote Loudspeaker I was Like , 'OK, someone's going to hear this song and it's going to matter', " says Maskin.

" It's hard, I think, to write a song with a meaning that is actually Good - But Katie has A Gift . "

The Sense of responsibility isn't lost on them, But Gavin carefully rejects the notion that Muna should be put on a pedestal.

" When we play These Days , there's an incredible amount of energy because people are using these songs to release stuff, " she says. " But we've just decided to channel that, let it go through without thinking, 'This is all happening because of me. ' Because it's not.

" Just being a part of it, I think, is really the privilege. "

And that audience will grow even further next summer thanks to Taylor Swift , who has booked Muna to play on her 2023 stadium tour.

" We literally found out about Two Weeks ago, " says McPherson. " We were Like , 'If she's asking, we're gonna Say Yes . '

" And so we did Say Yes . And we're very, very, very, very humbled and excited. "

Source of news: bbc.com