18 Things to Know About Jewish Musician Josette Maskin from MUNA

The guitarist honored her interfaith background by wearing a Star of David and cross necklace in the "Silk Chiffon" music video.

“Life’s so fun, life’s so fun,” the refrain goes in MUNA’s smash-hit queer anthem “Silk Chiffon.” And you know what? Life is so fun when you discover that one of the members of the hottest up-and-coming bands (aka MUNA) is Jewish.

We’ll give you three guesses as to who it is. Here’s a hint: It’s not lead singer Katie Gavin and it’s not guitarist Naomi McPherson… it is, indeed, MUNA’s other guitarist, Josette Maskin!

Here are 18 things to know about Josette Maskin.

1. Josette Maskin was born in 1994 to an interfaith Jewish family and grew up in La Canada Flintridge, California.

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2. She was an extremely tough child, as evidence by this photo.

3. Josette knew from a young age that she wanted to be a musician.

“I found refuge in playing the guitar and writing songs. It was the place I could go for hours and hours on end,” she told Decorated Youth. She later added, “My dad would show me old Bob Dylan and Neil Young records that I fell in love with. I don’t remember a time in my life before music.”

4. Her first ever concert was to see the Backstreet Boys.

5. Josette has a brother named Louis.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B6wi_o2lPet/?img_index=1

What a beautiful family.

6. She studied music at USC where she met the other members of MUNA!

7. MUNA released their first album, “About U,” in 2017 with RCA Records.

8. Josette has Italian and Jewish heritage, hence why she’s wearing a cross and a Star of David in this photo.

9. Josette thinks “What’s the first thing you eat in the morning?” is a very important first date question.

“I just need to fucking know. I want to know what they consume,” she told VICE in 2022.

10. MUNA’s second album, “Saves the World,” came out in 2019. In 2020, RCA Records dropped them for “not making enough money.” Happily, in 2021 MUNA signed with Phoebe Bridgers’ record label, Saddest Factory.

11. ICYMI, Josette is queer. She and her girlfriend Kelli have been dating since 2017.

12. If you go to 1:42 in the iconic “Silk Chiffon” music video, the trained eye can briefly make out that Josette is once again wearing her cross and Star of David combo!

13. MUNA released their self-titled third album in 2022.

14. Josette credits her hair to her cultural backgrounds!

I have really thick and curly hair, I’m Jewish and Italian. So you can only guess,” she said in a TikTok.

@whereismuna

how do you spell scwerdge #theerastour

♬ original sound – MUNA

15. During the Colleyville synagogue hostage crisis, Josette retweeted this message of support.

16. In the music video for their 2023 single “One That Got Away,” Josette and her bandmates play some very sexy mobsters.

17. MUNA opened for Taylor Swift on The Eras Tour and apparently watched “Jewish Matchmaking” while backstage?! Peep Noah Del Monte and a date on a TV in the background of this tour shot.

18. With MUNA, Josette performed an NPR Tiny Desk Concert in 2023. Their set list was “Loose Garment,” “Stayaway” and “Silk Chiffon.”

Everyone in the muna fam makes my world go round,” Josette said of the concert in an Instagram post. “This was such a special moment for us and I am just so happy we got to do it with our best friends. Thank you to everyone who helped make this possible. I love you eternally.”

Evelyn Frick

Evelyn Frick (she/they) is a writer and associate editor at Hey Alma. She graduated from Vassar College in 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature. In her spare time, she's a comedian and contributor for Reductress and The Onion.

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