Guitar Center

MUNA’s Katie Gavin takes Guitar Center inside the vocal recording sessions for "Buzzkiller," revealing how the band developed the song's intimate feel, layered harmonies and increasingly intense audio-production methods. In this exclusive song breakdown, Gavin demonstrates how microphone selection, signal processing and arrangement choices helped shape the song's emotional impact. “When we started Muna, I realized I'm really susceptible to changing my voice based on how a beat or the production of a song makes me feel,” says Gavin. In this video: • Discover how MUNA built up the vocals from intimate verses to an explosive outro • Hear how Manley, Sennheiser and Soyuz microphones contributed different vocal textures • Learn how vocal harmonies, vocoder effects, and use of reverb and tremolo helped develop the song's arrangement • Get practical home-recording advice about mic placement, pop filters and creating a comfortable recording environment What's your favorite technique for creating a great vocal track? Let us know in the comments! Subscribe to Guitar Center for more exclusive artist interviews, recording tutorials, studio breakdowns, gear demos and behind-the-scenes content. 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 Katie Gavin: https://www.instagram.com/katiegavs/ Follow MUNA: https://www.instagram.com/whereismuna/ Follow Guitar Center: https://www.instagram.com/guitarcenter/ https://www.facebook.com/GuitarCenter/ https://www.tiktok.com/@guitarcenter #MUNA #Buzzkiller #VocalProduction #MusicProduction #guitarcenter Chapters 00:00 - The Meaning Behind “Buzzkiller” 00:46 - Inside MUNA’s “Buzzkiller” Vocal Session 02:26 - Creating an Intimate Vocal Performance 03:04 - The Microphones Behind Katie Gavin’s Vocals 03:45 - How Vocal Editing Changes the Mood 04:04 - Using Mix Voice to Build the Chorus 05:51 - Tremolo, Vocoder and Vocal Effects 06:44 - Building Harmonies in the Second Chorus 08:05 - Writing Harmonies for a Complex Melody 08:44 - Comparing Microphone Sounds and Placement 09:37 - Finding the Right Microphone for Your Voice 10:36 - Katie Gavin’s Home Vocal Recording Tips 11:33 - Creating the Right Studio Atmosphere 12:01 - How Katie Gavin Protects Her Voice on Tour 13:00 - Vocal Warmups, Singing Straws and Vocal Health 13:54 - How Production Influences Katie Gavin’s Singing