“When you’re playing pop, you need to get the ego out of the way. You’re trying to elevate the song, rather than be heard as a guitar player”: The key to good pop guitar, says MUNA guitarist Josette Maskin, is to play less than you actually want to

Josette Maskin.

After being dropped by RCA during the pandemic, Los Angeles-based trio MUNA found themselves a new home on Phoebe Bridgers’ Saddest Factory label in 2021. With Bridgers, they conceived a perfect little viral guitar-pop smash by the name of Silk Chiffon, then followed it up with another 10 infectious anthems on their self-titled, self-produced third album.

Having met while studying at USC 10 years ago, the band exudes a veteran kind of chemistry and consists of Katie Gavin (vocals, acoustic guitar), Naomi McPherson (production, synth, guitar and vocals) and Josette Maskin (lead guitar). Although they could – and sometimes do – all play at once, their dynamic arrangements never suffer from six-string overindulgence.