Muna (band)

Based in Los Angeles, the trio met in college at the University of Southern California and began working together in 2013 with Maskin and McPherson playing together on guitars and Gavin adding synth bass and vocals. Gavin and Maskin were music majors, while McPherson double-majored in Narrative Studies and American Studies & Ethnicity.[2] The two guitarists, Maskin and McPherson, had been used to playing ska and progressive rock, but settled on a different sound when their initial collaboration with singer Gavin resulted in a pop song.[3]

Beginning their collaboration in an experimental mode, they evolved towards hooky electronic pop. In the summer of 2014, they self-released their debut EP, More Perfect, on Bandcamp and SoundCloud. Its success led to their signing by RCA Records in the US and Columbia Records in the UK. RCA released their self-produced debut major label EP, Loudspeaker, in May 2016. Their debut full-length album, About U, was released on February 3, 2017.

All three members identify as queer[3] and McPherson is non-binary.[4] Initially wary of being pigeonholed as a "queer band," they later came to embrace the opportunity to use their musical notoriety to help inspire younger people to be comfortable with their identities. Their songs frequently address issues of sexuality and gender. They describe one early song, "So Special", as "an anthem for the slut-shamed girls of the world who have to assert their own value."[3] According to McPherson, "It would have meant a lot to me when I was, say, 12, to know of someone in a band and think they were cool and know they were out."[2] McPherson added, "I am out and I feel safe being out because the three of us are a little army for one another. I don't feel afraid to be myself. That makes me proud to be queer. That's the whole point of why we do this. We want a safe haven."[5]

Dutch DJ/producer Tiësto remixed "Winterbreak" in May 2016.[6] Muna played Lollapalooza 2016 in Chicago in July 2016,[7] toured America with Grouplove in the fall of 2016, and made their late-night network television debut on November 7, 2016 on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.[8] On June 6, 2017, it was announced via Twitter that the band would be the opening act on the North American and European tour dates for Harry Styles. In 2017, their song "I Know a Place" was featured in The Carmilla Movie, following the original web series based on Sheridan Le Fanu's novella of the same name. In 2018, Muna was featured playing "I Know a Place" live in the Netflix movie, Alex Strangelove, which chronicles the sexual awakening of its teen protagonist, Alex Truelove.

In 2018, the band began work on their second full-length record. In June 2019, the band announced their second album, Saves the World, which was released on September 6, 2019. The album was preceded by its lead single, "Number One Fan", followed by the singles "Who" and "Stayaway". Following their London shows at the Village Underground,[9] it was announced that Muna would be returning to the UK for their Saves the World Tour in December 2019.

In May 2021, it was announced that the band signed with Phoebe Bridgers' record label Saddest Factory, which operates in partnership with Secretly Group's Dead Oceans.[10]

On Sept, 7, 2021 the band released their single "Silk Chiffon" featuring Phoebe Bridgers, their first since signing to Saddest Factory. Rolling Stone called it an "Buoyant track with an uncharacteristically bright declaration of Queer Love."[11]

Following an announcement in September 2021, MUNA joined Kacey Musgraves' 15-city winter tour with King Princess starting in St. Paul, Minnesota on January 19, 2022 and ending in Los Angeles, California on February 20, 2022.[12]

On March 15, 2022 Muna released the single "Anything But Me" and announced their third studio album MUNA will be released on June 24, 2022 through Saddest Factory and Dead Oceans.[13]

In June 2020, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the first LGBTQ Pride parade, Queerty named them among the fifty heroes “leading the nation toward equality, acceptance, and dignity for all people”.[14][15]

• Official website
• Muna at IMDb
• MUNA at AllMusic
• Muna discography at Discogs