If I could spend a summer following a band, I know it would be MUNA, for the music as much as their fans. It may still be spring, but with their new album Dancing On The Wall out next month, MUNA summer here we come!
Dancing On The Wall marks the LA trio’s fourth album. Tracks like “Wannabeher” tap into the almost absurd pull of transformation and fantasy, while “So What” lingers in the emotional comedown, tracing the hollow quiet that follows a night spent chasing connection. Elsewhere, “Why Do I Get A Good Feeling” stretches beyond its own structure, suspending the listener in a moment of unresolved possibility, as if reluctant to let go of a fleeting sense of hope.
Lyrically, the album is preoccupied with what it means to keep reaching: for love, for intimacy, for meaning against a backdrop of existential fatigue. There’s a constant awareness that the personal is inseparable from the world at large, and yet, rather than collapsing under that weight, the album insists on feeling everything at full volume and brings out queer joy that transforms into something communal, something ecstatic. Ahead of the album release and touring, we got the chance to talk with band members Naomi McPherson, Josette Maskin, and Katie Gavin. If you haven’t heard them before, get ready for a real pop treat!
Take me back to the beginning. How did you first meet, and what drew you to each other creatively and personally?
Josette: We first met at USC. Katie and I were both studying music, so we met in class. Katie also shared classes with Naomi through her minor, which is how they met. I think we were all drawn to each other because USC felt very cis and straight, it was easy to identify other alternative people since we stood out in a sea of normies.
When you think about your earliest days as a band, what feels the most different compared to how you work together now?
Josette: I would say we are much more confident in our abilities as musicians. Being more sure of ourselves has allowed us to be able to collaborate more deeply and take feedback easier. This record, as a result, is our most collaborative yet.
Dancing On The Wall touches on millennial precarity and life in Los Angeles. Was there a specific moment or feeling that you wanted to unlock?
Katie: I think more than one specific feeling, we wanted to unlock the experience of holding conflicting feelings at the same time – despair and lust, love and fear, anger and hope.
Do you feel like the political and environmental tension inside and out of the city has changed the way you create?
Katie: Yes, definitely. Since we put out our last album, there have been a lot of moments in our city that have brought us together as a community – from the wildfires to the terrorism of ICE patrols. There was a day at the studio when we literally paused recording to go out because there were reports of ICE agents at a Target down the road from us. This kind of thing stays on your heart and is reflected in songs.
Were there any unexpected references, musical or otherwise, that shaped this album?
Katie: Cathy Opie’s photos of the LA freeways were my phone background for most of writing the album. We also got inspo from an art show by Susan Stewart called Drawing The Line, where people were allowed to write around photos displayed on a wall. We liked that it was messy and communal and fostered thoughtful but provocative conversation.
Jumping ahead to summer, you have started to release some upcoming tour dates. Do you have a favourite place you’ve ever played, whether for the crowd, the energy, or just the memory attached to it?
Katie: We love playing anywhere we get the sense we are needed, like very religious or rural places where queer kids can come together and feel like they have a club for the night.
I grew up in a very religious and rural place, I know that some of those kids will be coming out to see you at Capitol Hill Block Party this August! What’s one city or venue you’re especially excited to return to or play for the first time on the upcoming tour?
Josette: We are very excited to play Red Rocks. It’s always been a dream to play there because it’s such a legendary venue.
Do you have a favourite story from the road?
Katie: Honestly, my favorite moments from the road are times I just simply feel I am bonding with my friends. There was a time we had an off-day in Jersey, and our production manager got very drunk and slayed an open mic at a bar called the Chubby Pickle. That was the best.
Your shows often feel deeply communal, what do you hope people walk away with after seeing you live?
Katie: I hope other people walk away from seeing us live feeling like they were part of something and belonged somewhere.
Has your relationship with your audience changed as your fanbase has grown? What does “connection” mean to you right now in your music, your friendships, and your audience?
Naomi: For us, connection is the purpose of making art in the first place, so we get a lot of meaning from doing the live show and bringing these songs to audiences so as to facilitate a cathartic collective experience. As we’ve gotten more successful, our audience size and venue capacity has grown, but we still try to create a feeling of intimacy for the fans…not to say we’re a massive band by any stretch — yet, at least! We are so outrageously lucky to have such incredible, thoughtful, kind, and respectful fans.
There’s always been a strong visual and stylistic language around MUNA, especially in your latest video for Dancing on the Wall, how does fashion feed into the world-building of this album?
Naomi: We love to moodboard, so there was a lot of that in advance of the album campaign. I think we’re drawn to clothes that are vintage, and that feel useful and have a sense of consistent and timeless cool. Of course, we still want to have fun and engage with the trends that feel interesting to us, but we want to do it sustainably. Overall, you will never regret getting a perfect leather jacket or perfectly fitting pair of jeans, so those feel like good investments for us this time around.
How do you approach style as a band versus as individuals?
Naomi: I think we all have a Venn diagram of overlapping style and taste…there are certain pieces that feel very much like my bandmates and others that feel very much my own. I love tailoring and suiting, so we’re getting into that a bit more. I think for the band we generally keep it simple. I personally love to invest in pieces I really, really love, so I have a lot of likes on Depop and The Real Real and Ebay that I’m just waiting to see if I really love them enough to purchase!
Are there designers, eras, or subcultures that have been influencing your look lately?
Naomi: Like most people, we have been drawing a lot of inspiration from the fashion of the 80s and mid to late 90’s. Specifically, classic post-punk and new wave bands.
Finally, just for fun, what’s your go-to karaoke song?
Naomi: Something with a fun vocal impression. Maybe a Kate Bush song, like Cloudbusting. Generally speaking, I think people who sing professionally should leave karaoke to the non-professional singers. That’s their world! Let them have fun! We get to do this as a job, don’t steal karaoke from these people! I prefer to enjoy karaoke as an audience member.
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