MUNA’s Katie Gavin deals in “being young and on bad behaviour” on new solo single ‘Casual Drug Use’
MUNA’s Katie Gavin has released ‘Casual Drug Use’, a new single from her forthcoming solo debut ‘What A Relief’. Watch its music video below.
Released yesterday (August 20), ‘Casual Drug Use’ sees Gavin striking out on her own by digging into a more carefree, pre-fame past.
“This is a song about being young and on bad behaviour, and the comfort of having friends by your side,” she reveals in a press statement.
“I wrote it in 2016 after a day trip I took with a friend, and so I thought it would be sweet to film the video on a road trip I had planned with my childhood best friend. The different coloured potions in the video are meant to be a stand-in for whatever external substance we use to change our internal states.”
While ‘Casual Drug Use’ is Gavin’s second track release after last month’s ‘Aftertaste’, she also previewed ‘As Good As It Gets’ – a collaborative song with Mitski – at her recent Newport Folk Festival 2024 set, where she performed both solo and with MUNA in separate slots.
Per Gavin’s Instagram post, she reveals that the video – which she also directed – was shot on both Kodak film and with an iPhone.
On her forthcoming album, which she has described as “Lilith Fair-core”, Gavin previously stated: “This record spans a lot of my life. It’s about having a really deep desire for connection, but also encountering all the obstacles that stood in my way to be able to achieve that, patterns of isolation or even boredom with the real work of love. ‘What A Relief’ explores and portrays it honestly, without shame.”
‘What a Relief’ will be released on October 25 via Phoebe Bridgers imprint Saddest Factory Records.
Starting in September, Gavin will embark on a solo tour across the US, along with selected dates in Canada and the UK. Most dates have since sold out, including a three-night engagement at the Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever in Los Angeles.
The post MUNA’s Katie Gavin deals in “being young and on bad behaviour” on new solo single ‘Casual Drug Use’ appeared first on NME.
Daniel Peters
NME
