Guitar Center

MUNA deconstructs the recording of "So What"—the second single from the band’s acclaimed 2026 album, Dancing on the Wall. From manipulating tempo and vocal samples to blending lo-fi textures with more refined and polished sounds, MUNA’s Katie Gavin, Josette Maskin and Naomi McPherson share a track-by-track examination of how experimentation helped tell the song's deeper emotional story. “This song is one of the best examples I’ve seen of how production is songwriting,” says Gavin. “You can really change the meaning and emotion of a song by how you choose to produce it.” In this video: • Discover precisely how MUNA built "So What" from an early demo into a finished production. • Learn how creative production choices can create amazing results—even if you're not an instrumental virtuoso. • Hear why slowing the tempo, manipulating vocals and layering textures became essential to telling the song's emotional narrative. • Find out why MUNA believes there are no rules in music production. What's your favorite production trick for adding emotion, texture or personality to a recording? Share your studio techniques in the comments. Be sure to subscribe for more artist interviews, studio tours, recording techniques, gear demos and behind-the-scenes sessions. Check out some of the gear in MUNA's studio: https://www.guitarcenter.com/Manley/Reference-Cardioid-Microphone-1274319727504.gc?source=4GOA4LOBA https://www.guitarcenter.com/Barefoot-Sound/Footprint02-Gen-2-65-3-way-active-near-field-monitor-pair-1500000470453.gc?source=4GOA4LOBA https://www.guitarcenter.com/Universal-Audio/Apollo-x8p-Gen-2-Audio-Interface-with-UAD-Analog-Classics-1500000489528.gc?source=4GOA4LOBA https://www.guitarcenter.com/Universal-Audio/Apollo-x16-Gen-2-Audio-Interface-With-UAD-Analog-Classics-1500000489529.gc?source=4GOA4LOBA https://www.guitarcenter.com/Roland/JC-120-Jazz-Chorus-Amp-1274034491936.gc?source=4GOA4LOBA https://www.guitarcenter.com/Audio-Technica/Audio-Technica-ATH-M50x-Closed-Back-Professional-Studio-Monitor-Headphones-Black-Black-1384185555119.gc?source=4GOA4LOBA https://www.guitarcenter.com/KORG/Multi-Poly-Virtual-Analog-Synthesizer-1500000444733.gc?source=4GOA4LOBA https://www.guitarcenter.com/KORG/MicroKorg-XL-Synthesizer-Vocoder-1354813879835.gc?source=4GOA4LOBA https://www.guitarcenter.com/Sequential/Sequential-Prophet-6-1424281255536.gc?source=4GOA4LOBA https://www.guitarcenter.com/KORG/NAUTILUS-Music-Workstation-88-Key-1500000334215.gc?source=4GOA4LOBA https://www.guitarcenter.com/KORG/minilogue-xd-Polyphonic-Analog-Synthesizer-Black-1500000259919.gc?source=4GOA4LOBA Follow MUNA: https://www.instagram.com/whereismuna/ #MUNA #MusicProduction #RecordingStudio #Songwriting #RecordProduction #guitarcenter Chapters 00:00 - In the Studio with MUNA 00:21 - How MUNA Started Writing “So What” 01:41 - Breaking Down the Drum Production 04:37 - Building Percussion With Samples and Effects 07:56 - How Live Drums Transform the Groove 08:42 - Reverb Automation and Tempo Changes 10:39 - Creating Emotion With Synths and Saturation 11:43 - Breaking the Rules of Music Production 12:28 - Vocal Sampling, Pitch Shifting and Manipulation 15:31 - How Production Changes the Song's Meaning 16:46 - Recording and Reamping Guitar Parts 17:47 - Creating Lo-Fi Guitar Textures With Tape 23:07 - Why Production Is Songwriting