Katie Gavin
Across modern music history, there’s a fascinating study to be done of what singers from popular bands do when they go off on their own for solo albums or solo careers. Outside the confines of Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nicks went full-on rock with the instant classic Bella Donna. When he didn’t have to dance around with NSYNC, Justin Timberlake went deeper and deeper into R&B (for better and sometimes worse, as in the cringiest moments of Man of the Woods). Katie Gavin, vocalist of Los Angeles indie-pop trio MUNA, has gone country.
MUNA fans will recognize long-standing threads of classic country and folk in their music, but Gavin dives headfirst into a more homespun sound on her debut solo record What a Relief, released in October via Phoebe Bridgers’ Saddest Factory label. With early inspiration from singer-songwriters like Emmylou Harris, Katie Gavin’s musical evolution came naturally.
“For me, as a songwriter, I’m very drawn to telling stories, and I think that some of the best storytelling is in country music,” says Gavin, speaking ahead of a sold-out show Sunday at The Blue Room at Third Man Records. “I think you can hear that influence in certain MUNA songs, but it’s been nice to have kind of free rein to explore that whole world with this record.”
Gavin’s reflective lyricism seems a natural fit for a more acoustic sound. With assistance from producer Tony Berg (whose credits include work with Andrew Bird and the aforementioned Bridgers) and Sara and Sean Watkins, the sibling duo behind Nickel Creek, What a Relief has an authentic flair. Gavin points out that Bridgers’ suggestion to lean into the country foundations of songs like the heartrending “Inconsolable” helped them shine their brightest.
“The original demo of [‘Inconsolable’] was pretty bluegrass, and we had gone in some different directions, trying to produce the song, and were just, frankly, having a hard time with it,” she says. “And that was also, funnily enough, a Phoebe thing. I think she’s very collaboration-minded, and is a good A&R person, but we were having trouble figuring out what the vibe for that song was going to be. And she was like, ‘I liked it when it was bluegrass.’ … I think she suggested that Sara and Sean come in, and that was one of my favorite days recording. We kind of just did the song thinking, ‘Two takes.’ We’re all going at the same time, and they’re just such talented players. So then I asked Sara to play on ‘The Baton’ as well.”
What a Relief has an unexpected Nashville connection. Elusive songwriting star Mitski duets with Gavin on the despair-wrought “As Good as It Gets.” Gavin recalls the two met and became friends when Mitski visited L.A. for some songwriting sessions about five years back.
“She’s my favorite living songwriter, and she makes me feel so seen with her music,” Gavin says. “And when we were making the record, it was actually Phoebe’s idea to have that song be a duet. And as soon as we knew that we wanted it to be a duet, I just thought … ‘I would want to have it be Mitski, right?’ She was on tour right when I asked. She was home in Nashville for a couple of days that month, and made the time to record it when she was home. So yeah, it’s really wonderful that she’s on the record. It means a lot to me.”
The internet has dubbed What a Relief’s sound “Lilith Fair Core,” a humorous and apt summarization for a female folk-country record in 2024. The legendary femme folk festival of the late ’90s helmed by Sarah McLachlan has become foundational lore these days; unfortunately, the music industry and culture at large could use it now more than ever. If the powers that be convene to bring Lilith Fair back in 2025 (please!), Katie Gavin herself would be an excellent organizer. Her dream lineup includes MUNA — who wouldn’t dream of headlining such a historic comeback? — boygenius, Chappell Roan, Tracy Chapman, Sarah McLachlan, rappers Monaleo and Glorilla, newcomers jasmine.4.t and Avery Tucker, Nashville’s own Courtney Marie Andrews, and, of course, the Indigo Girls.
“I’m so proud of them,” Gavin says of the groundbreaking Georgia duo. “It’s so amazing to just think about how much they’ve shifted culture. I got to play with them at The Greek Theater in September, and it was like, ‘That’s a great career highlight.’ I hope I get to do more with them.”
