Meet MUNA, USC's 'Dark Pop' Band On The Rise
The self-proclaimed “dark pop” band exudes girl power in everything from the band’s dynamic to their songs to their '90s grunge style.
This idea carries over to the name “MUNA,” which maintains that fierce femme aura.
“We wanted something feminine but powerful, and we basically spent a day putting words out there,” said lead singer Katie Gavin. “Someone said Luna, then someone said Muna, and that was kind of it. We’re also very visual people so we decided that the look of MUNA in all caps was right for us.”
Gavin, with her fierce ginger pixie cut, commands the stage with a peppy attitude and moves that had the audience dancing along at USC's KXSC Fest. Her wayward dialogue during the band’s set kept the audience engaged, even if she was making fun of herself or wishing a friend in the audience a happy birthday.
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Guitarist Josette Maskin has a bit of a chiller vibe, but her playing is anything but dull. Her innovative guitar riffs are vital to the band’s sound. Though the more quiet and mysterious of the group, her band mates describe her as extremely passionate and creative, while still being a bit of a goofball around her close friends.
And Naomi McPherson, also on guitar, takes on the family business with pure class and natural talent. Her wild, curly hair juxtaposes her thoughtful personality, though once in a while she hints at a more funny and sarcastic side.
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The three leading ladies began MUNA back in the fall of 2013, when a night of drinking wine and jamming together brought the USC students together.
The move caught McPherson by surprise as the only non-Thornton School student of the group, but she couldn't help but follow her musically inclined background. “I come from a family of musicians, so I grew up around that lifestyle,” she said. “Going off to college I kind of wanted to do my own thing, not really pursue music and do African-American studies and narrative studies instead, but I couldn’t escape it. It’s something I’ve always been inclined to do.”
MUNA later recruited Brian Jones, the bass guitarist with a killer afro, and Scott Heiner, the drummer who greeted me with a handshake and a wink, to complete their sound.
“We’re always kind of shocked by the turnout at our shows,” Maskin said. “We have a bit of a pattern with our following in which acquaintances really become our ride or die’s, and it's awesome to see.”
MUNA's set includes jams like the upbeat "Promise," as well as heavier tracks like “The Grave” and catchy beats like “2BMoved.” The band’s most recent song “Winter Break,” written by Gavin, touched on old feelings that surface when you go home during college.
“Often with music I let the characters in my life coalesce into specific feelings I had from those relationships," said Gavin. "Going home and doing things as simple as sitting in the backseat of my car brings back those feelings and those memories. So although ‘Winter Break’ refers back to a high school relationship, the feeling behind it is more in touch with more current relationships.”
So what’s next for the band? Well, let’s just say MUNA’s three-month hiatus wasn’t for nothing.
“We’ve been working really hard on new music that we can’t wait to share,” Maskin said. “And a music video will be out soon!”
To learn more about MUNA and to listen to some of their music, like them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter, and visit their website and Soundcloud.
Contact Staff Reporter Alana Bracken here and follow her on Twitter here.