“We definitely had a lot of nerves on the day we actually
signed,” Gavin says about working with the major label. “It
sort of came down to, ‘Are these the right people for us?’
It’s never really been about whether it’s a major label or
management company, or a small one. It was based on vibes,
for lack of a better word. They trusted that we’re already
doing the right thing and that we already have good ideas.”
In the chorus of the song “Loudspeaker,” the EP’s opener,
Gavin declares, “If I feel real good tonight, I’m gonna put it
high on the loudspeaker / And if I feel like crying, I won’t
hide it, I am the loudspeaker.” If there’s any one thing
that MUNA is definitely about, it’s creating a supportive
community—both within the band and for their fans.
“Sometimes we say our mission statement is encapsulated in
‘Loudspeaker,’ which is: ‘Whatever I’m feeling, I’m not going
to hold it back,’” says Gavin. “‘I’m gonna express it and tell
other people about it, because I have a sneaking suspicion
that you’re going through it, too, so let’s just get it out there.’”
This is one of MUNA’s specialties: the articulation of a
feeling so familiar it induces shivers of solidarity during the
high of a pop-song chorus. Their dance parties get personal.
In the refrain of “Winterbreak,” Gavin sings, “I think we
both know this is the love that we won’t get right / Still, if
you said that you want it, I know we’ll always have one more
try.” With those words, there’s no way that someone, past or
present, doesn’t come to mind.
Gavin echoes this when talking about her songwriting.
“When I’m writing, the main thing I’m trying to do is be
honest, as if I’m having a one-on-one conversation—one
of those really good conversations, where you’re like, ‘Fuck,
are we on drugs?’ Like, you’re really getting somewhere with
someone; you’re really connected. I want that to be what’s
in the songs.”
“When Jo and I first met, the first party that we went to
together, we had a mental breakdown because we asked
each other, ‘What’s your favorite Fiona Apple song,’” Gavin
says. “And then it was like, ‘1…2...3... “Not About Love!”’ And
we were both like, ‘Aaahhh!’”