About two years after MUNA released their fantastic self-titled album, singer Katie Gavin has announced her debut solo effort, What A Relief, coming in October via Phoebe Bridgers’ Saddest Factory Records. What A Relief features a guest spot from Mitski, which is exciting. “This record spans a lot of my life,” the singer-songwriter says in a statement. “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.”

Along with the album announcement, Gavin has unveiled a lovely and heartfelt lead single, “Aftertaste,” which comes with a video. “That song takes place inside of the magnetic force, when I’m really drawn to somebody and still feeling like it’s gonna work,” she says. “Sometimes it’s fun to surrender to that feeling – I think a lot of songwriters have a strong relationship with romantic fantasy.”

Continuing on “Aftertaste,” Gavin adds:

I thought this song would be a good place to start because to me it kind of serves as a bridge, sonically and thematically, between MUNA’s world and the world we are going to with the solo record… “Aftertaste” is a sweet song about carrying a torch for someone, realizing that you are going out to concerts and parties hoping to run into them there. The song is a playing out of a fantasy, really, both because it involves confessing your crush and finding out that it is reciprocated.

Gavin also provides some insight into the video, where Gavin plays the subject of a nude drawing class. “Naomi McPherson helped me come up with the idea for the video… and Alexa Viscius co-directed with me and brought in an amazing team of Chicago creatives to bring it to fruition. Filming in the city I’m from felt very right for introducing this solo work. Back to my roots, if you will.”

On Sunday Gavin and her MUNA bandmates played Pitchfork Music Festival, where they joined headliner Alanis Morissette for a performance of “Ironic.” Watch and listen to “Aftertaste” below.

TRACKLIST:
01 “I Want It All”
02 “Aftertaste”
03 “The Baton”
04 “Casual Drug Use”
05 “As Good As It Gets” Feat. Mitski
06 “Sanitized”
07 “Sketches”
08 “Inconsolable”
09 “Sparrow”
10 “Sweet Abby Girl”
11 “Keep Walking”
12 “Today”

TOUR DATES:
07/27 – Newport, RI @ Newport Folk Festival*^
09/07 – Evanston, IL @ Evanston Folk Festival*
09/11 – London, UK @ The Old Church^
11/19 – Seattle WA @ Neumos^
11/20 – Portland OR @ The Old Church^
11/22 – SF, CA @ Bimbo’s 365 Club^
11/24 – Pioneertown, CA @ Pappy + Harriet’s^
11/25 – Los Angeles, CA @ Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever^
12/08 – Nashville, TN @ The Blue Room^
12/10 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom^
12/13 – Washington DC @ The Atlantis^
12/14 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall^
12/16 – Toronto, ON @ The Great Hall^
12/18 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall^

* w/ MUNA
^ headline

What A Relief is out 10/25 via Saddest Factory Records. Pre-order it here.