Muna on ‘Dancing on the Wall,’ Touring & Their Creative Process

In the landscape of modern artists, who meet the pressure of maintaining attention spans and streaming numbers with constant content, Muna are trying to stay old school.

“There are some people who are total maximalists who just put out a ton of music and in that, inevitably there will be genius and moments of transcendence and you inundate the market with your music,” Naomi McPherson says. ”That’s just what’s expected of contemporary artists because you need to keep your streaming numbers up so that you get a check in the mail every couple of months to be able to live your life. But yeah, we’re just a little old school, I guess, of wanting to make bodies of work that tell a story and capture a moment in time.”

The band, composed of McPherson, Katie Gavin and Josette Maskin, released their fourth studio album, “Dancing on the Wall,” in May. One of the differences in the making of the new record was that the band built a proper studio space for the first time, rather than working out of their basements (or a friend’s basement, or “some nook in someone’s house”). 

“It kind of was a natural progression of also what’s good for our relationship both with each other and to music,” McPherson says. “Jo and I were living together for a long time and the studio was in the basement and there was no separation between work and life. I’d be down in the studio at 3 in the morning. And when you’re in a third space, you can establish a little bit more of a work-life balance and a routine.”

“I think we’ve always tried to not work too much, but in the sense of not because we don’t want to work, but in the sense of not trying to ruin something,” Maskin adds. “Which I think we have killed songs because of overanalysis and not putting it down when you should put it down. It’s kind of a weird dance you have to play with whether you pursue the idea to the furthest extent because the feeling is there, or you’re just pursuing the idea because something is happening and you’re doing it to do it, rather than going with God. It’s a funny balance because it’s not just completing a task. It’s trying to excavate something. We’re trying to figure out what it is.”

“Dancing on the Wall” is also the group’s first record since Gavin released and toured her solo record, “What a Relief” in 2024. 

“Because I was a beginner at that, it plugged me back into the feeling of what it was like when we first started the band,” Gavin says of the impact her solo project had on her role in the making of the new Muna album. “There was this sense of experimentation and a fluidity around our roles and a willingness to throw us up against the wall that I think was fun to bring back to this project. And also perhaps influence the collaborative nature, because we were all trying different stuff. The main thing is that they recognized that it’s important for me as a songwriter to be able to share pieces of music that are in my heart. Even if those songs that I did with the solo project weren’t Muna songs, I think sharing that stuff and getting it out in the world and seeing responses allows me to continue my conversation as an artist.”

Muna concerts have earned a reputation over the years for being much more than just a time to see live music: fans have started to refer to Muna shows as “gay church,” where queerness is celebrated and fans often liken their experience to borderline spiritual.  

“I like that we facilitate other people hanging out in a fun way. I think it’s really sweet to see,” Gavin says. “I mean, we’re so lucky that there’s now this culture around going to Muna shows and going to gay church and just having an experience.”

They have plenty of live shows on the horizon, both their own this fall and at summer festivals, which are a return to their roots. 

“We got our start as an opening band. And something about a festival is that same energy where I’m like, you kind of have to work a little bit harder to get them in a way,” Maskin says “To stand out a little bit. Yeah. And Katie and Naomi are both such good performers and the people we play with are such good performers. So we get to really go hard and show people what Muna shows are about. And don’t worry, you will be walking away a fan or you’ll be walking away saying, ‘That was intense. What just happened to me?’”

“One of the two,” McPherson says.