Katie Gavin Is No Stranger to Vulnerability or Baby Lizards
Katie Gavin, the lead singer of the hit indie-pop band MUNA, ushers in her solo debut with three heart-wrenching new releases. A common thread of vulnerability ties the music from her upcoming album together, set to release on Oct. 25.
Written by Claire Davis
Photos courtesy of Alexa Viscius
Katie Gavin is no stranger to vulnerability. As the lead vocalist and songwriter for popular queer band MUNA, she has already set the stage with iconic, lyrically potent songs. Three albums and 10 years into her work with MUNA, she recently teased her upcoming debut solo album, What a Relief, with singles “Aftertaste,” “Casual Drug Use,” and “Inconsolable.” Though listeners know MUNA for upbeat indie-pop hits like “Silk Chiffon” and “What I Want,” Gavin’s solo music represents a distinct shift across completely different genres. Her new releases explore acoustic and bluegrass production, and while her TikTok account confirms that MUNA is still together as a band, she makes a distinct mark with solo work that is unmistakably her own. Each new single explores a different facet of Gavin’s humanity, shamelessly displaying intimate feelings of vulnerability and longing.
Gavin made her solo debut earlier this year with “Aftertaste.” As the second song on the tracklist for What a Relief, the single introduces listeners to the singer’s new artistic direction. It opens with a simple sequence on an acoustic guitar, which contrasts MUNA’s synthy upbeat tracks. A nod to vulnerability and nostalgia, “Aftertaste” explores the distance and longing that come with revisiting past relationships. “My hair got long / Your hair got cut / You wear the same old sweater,” Gavin begins, a simple reference to the obvious physical changes that she and a past love underwent while they spent time apart. Reluctant to move on, the songstress attempts to continue life as it was. She works to ignore her reignited feelings toward her muse as she softly sings, “I'm makin’ plans / I do the dance / Pretend to listen closer.”
A beautiful tribute to missing and pining after the things someone has lost, “Aftertaste” perfectly sets up the themes for Gavin’s subsequent singles. She begs her former lover for another chance, wanting them to take her back, despite the long time they spent apart. Gavin’s vulnerability manifests when she sings, “I feel naked when you look my way / You can see it on my face,” unable to mask her feelings from the song’s subject. Grappling with feelings and resolution over the shared vulnerability between herself and her lover, Gavin desperately pleads, “Don’t you tell me it’s too late.” The backing instrumental also echoes this desperation: The final chorus is a slower, softer repetition of previous refrains, preceding a build-up to the song’s strong finish.
“Casual Drug Use” is another yearning anthem, with the subtle use of she/her pronouns in the track alluding to the singer’s queerness. The song grapples with subjects like addiction and unhealthy coping mechanisms. With similar production and backing vocals, the devastating ballad most closely resembles tracks off of MUNA’s second studio album, Saves the World. While the lyrics suggest literal drug use, the track also alludes to codependency and the tendency to fall back into unhealthy habits. The tune conveys the challenges of engaging in cycles of self-destructive behavior, breaking a former promise of this being the last time. “I know, I know, I did not need that last one” not only refers to substance consumption, but a mantra Gavin tells herself after going back to an unhealthy relationship. The singer’s on-again, off-again love pulls her back into these cycles when she sees her, calling back to when “She was smiling.” The song concludes with a phrase most people rely on, repeating, “I feel like nothing is ruined.” While most people may use it to defend their own actions, Gavin attempts to rationalize her behavior through the premise that everything is still okay. The singer-songwriter’s admittance of how easy it is to rely on these coping mechanisms is admirable, because this is something people will rarely admit, once again giving listeners raw insight into her own experiences.
Her most recent release and the eighth track in What a Relief, “Inconsolable,” delves into generational patterns of emotional expression or the lack thereof. A strong bluegrass influence dominates the single, with soft strings accompanying her heartfelt lyrics. The song’s instrumentals call back to trailblazing women in the country industry, resembling the works of The Chicks and Dolly Parton. Gavin honors their triumphs by reclaiming a space that commonly excludes queer people, specifically queer women. She begins the chorus by wistfully singing, “We’re from a long line of people / We describe as inconsolable / We don’t know how to be helped,” immediately diving into the persistent inability to process feelings or rely on others for support. However, the end of the chorus suggests there is hope in breaking free from these patterns: “But I’ve seen baby lizards run into the river when they open their eyes / Even though no one taught them how or why.” Likening herself to these baby lizards, the sapphic icon emphasizes that anyone can help themselves, despite never learning how.
While “Inconsolable” is an insightful exposition into Gavin’s own feelings, it also serves as an anthem of radical acceptance for those struggling with releasing themselves from their learned patterns of behaviors. It gently reminds listeners that vulnerability is not always taught; it must be learned on one’s own. With this wisdom in mind, Gavin embraces the notion of letting someone else in and sharing their burden when she sings, “So maybe when you kiss me / I can let you see me cry,” allowing each of them to let their guards down. This embrace is hopeful, as she preaches, “And if we keep going by the feeling, we can get by.” She accepts that — despite what generations have taught and passed down — feelings are not something to shy away from. Like the baby lizards have learned, one must sometimes find radical acceptance on one’s own.
Emotional themes undeniably tie these tracks together, but they also share a common thread of queerness. MUNA is an openly queer band, with sapphic songs like “Silk Chiffon” and “What I Want” and a spot on Billboard’s best LGBTQ+ anthems of all time list with “I Know a Place.” Their frontwoman’s solo debut has not forgotten this central motif, and while it is more subtle, her releases explore sapphic themes. For instance, “Inconsolable” broadly applies to queer experiences by giving listeners an opportunity to shy away from internalized homophobia and accept their queerness despite what they may have been raised to believe. Most evidently, she uses she/her pronouns to describe her love interests, calling back to relationships she has had with female-identifying people. While the use of feminine pronouns may seem inconsequential, Gavin’s songwriting helps normalize the act of simply referencing one's queerness rather than making it the focal point of their narrative.
Gavin’s willingness to open herself up to difficult conversations and emotions teases a similar approach for What A Relief. Through raw, honest lyrics that allude to personal anecdotes, the indie singer offers fans insight into her own life and feelings, allowing them to relate their own experiences to hers. Based on these initial releases, the singer’s solo debut is set to make a massive impact. When she stepped out of MUNA’s feel-good realm, Gavin embraced the scary feelings people so often shy away from, bringing only herself along rather than relying on her bandmates’ comforting companionship. By sharing these experiences, she has helped make listeners feel a little less alone each time they hear these unfiltered truths about life. Her own shift to solo music has reassured fans that it is okay to unlearn things they grew up knowing, emphasizing the importance of radical acceptance and self-trust to set her music apart from her past work. What a Relief is Gavin’s gift to herself, a raw exposition into emotions she has harnessed to share her life lessons with the world.