Katie Gavin: Tiny Desk Concert

Elle Mannion | May 9, 2025
Katie Gavin is the kind of performer whose dynamism knows no bounds. Whether she’s performing with her pop band MUNA or solo, Gavin is a captivating presence.

Each of the four songs Gavin plays from her folksy record, What a Relief, have ambitious and honest lyrics, yet no two songs sound the same. “Aftertaste” serves as a bridge between MUNA’s sound and Gavin’s solo work. “The Baton” is a violin-forward reflection on intergenerational trauma. “Sanitized” is groovy and introspective. And Gavin’s performance of “Sketches” puts her on par with the Lilith Fair artists whose sounds inspired her album.

“This whole solo record was very, like, experimental and playful,” says Gavin as she shifts between the violin, piano and guitar. “I'm playing a lot of instruments that I don't really play,” she admits — though you wouldn’t guess that by the way she casually slays a violin solo or plays the piano with her eyes closed.

Before “Sketches,” a song that deals with the theme of love versus fear, Gavin gives a moving speech about what it’s like to live in the overwhelming world we’re in right now. Gavin then mentions that she’s been talking to a young girl in Gaza, who she asked if she wanted to share anything with the audience. “She told me that she wanted to say that, despite everything, she still believes in life, and she knows that there are people in this world whose hearts are full of compassion,” says Gavin. “And if she can share that and believe in that, then it makes me believe I definitely can, too.”

SET LIST
“The Baton”
“Sanitized”
“Sketches”
“Aftertaste”

MUSICIANS
Katie Gavin: vocals, guitar, violin
Eric Radloff: guitar, percussion, background vocals
Nana Adjoa: bass, shruti box, piano, background vocals
Sarab Singh: drums

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Elle Mannion
Director/Editor: Kara Frame
Audio Technical Director: Josephine Nyounai
Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Videographers: Kara Frame, Maia Stern, Joshua Bryant
Audio Engineer: Hannah Gluvna
Production Assistant: Dora Levite
Photographer: Mhari Shaw
Tiny Desk Team: Lars Gotrich, Ashley Pointer, Josh Newell
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins

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