Born Catherine Hope Gavin in Winnetka, Illinois, on December 30, 1992, Katie Gavin was a student at New Trier High School when she scored her first viral hit in 2011 with her cover of the Willow Smith song "Whip My Hair". Enrolled at the University of Southern California, she met Naomi McPherson and Josette Maskin, with whom she formed the band Muna in 2013, which she continues to participate in alongside her solo career. After a first single with Oscar Scheller in 2021, "I'm Enough", she signed a solo artist contract with Phoebe Bridgers' label, Saddest Factory Records, under which the titles "Afterstate", "Casual Drug Use" and "Inconsolable" were released, leading to the album What a Relief (2024). She was responsible for all the folk-pop compositions, and invited Mitski to guest on "As Good as It Gets".
