Katie Gavin Bridges Gap Between Muna and Her Debut Solo LP With ‘Aftertaste’

Muna’s Katie Gavin is embarking on a solo mission. The musician has announced plans to release her debut solo album What a Relief on Oct. 25. The record will include the newly-released single “Aftertaste,” an ode to the relief of a reciprocated crush on which Gavin leads familiar listeners out of Muna’s world and into her own.

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Gavin has described the lovestruck single as being a sonic and thematic bridge between the two creative projects, which informed her decision to lead with it. “‘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,” she shared in a statement. “The song is a playing out of a fantasy, really, both because it involves confessing your crush and finding out that it is reciprocated.”

In the accompanying video, co-directed by Gavin and Alexa Viscius, the musician stars as a nude model for a drawing class. The theme runs parallel to the chorus on the single, where she sings: “I feel naked when you look my way/You can see it on my face/You’re the only reason I came here/You’re the only reason I stayed here.”

“Naomi McPherson helped me come up with the idea for the video,” Gavin said. “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.”

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What a Relief will feature 12 tracks in total, including a collaboration with Mitski titled “As Good As It Gets.” At 31, the musician is leaning into introspection across the record. “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,” Gavin said. “ What a Relief explores and portrays it honestly, without shame.”

In November, Gavin will embark on an 11-date North American tour making stops in New York, Los Angeles, Nashville, Toronto, Seattle, and more. The run will wrap on Dec. 8 with a hometown show in Chicago. Gavin will also deliver an intimate performance in London on Sept. 11. Information regarding on-sale times for the live shows will be announced at a later date.

What a Relief Track List
1. “I Want It All”
2. “Aftertaste”
3. “The Baton”
4. “Casual Drug Use”
5. “As Good As It Gets” featuring Mitski
6. “Sanitized”
7. “Sketches”
8. “Inconsolable”
9. “Sparrow”
10. “Sweet Abby Girl”
11. “Keep Walking”
12. “Today”

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