Los Angeles, CA · synth-pop

MUNA

2 upcoming festivals

Life-affirming queer synth-pop — 'Silk Chiffon' joy with serious writing chops, and the best live banter in pop included.

MUNA are a Los Angeles trio of Katie Gavin, Josette Maskin and Naomi McPherson, who met as students at the University of Southern California and began releasing music in the mid-2010s. Gavin sings and writes the lyrics; Maskin and McPherson handle guitars, production and programming, giving the group a sound rooted in bright 1980s-indebted synth-pop with strong guitar lines running through it.

After two albums for RCA, About U and Saves the World, the band was dropped and then signed to Phoebe Bridgers' Saddest Factory label, releasing a self-titled record in 2022. All three members are openly queer, and their songs deal frankly with relationships, identity and recovery.

synth-pop