The MUNA guitarist’s mother has an “extremely aggressive and terminal form of cancer,” the group shared Sept. 15
Credit: JC Olivera/Mubi via Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- MUNA’s Naomi McPherson will miss the start of the group’s fall tour to spend time with their mother, who has terminal cancer
- The band will continue scheduled shows with musician Lou Roy filling in for McPherson during their absence
- MUNA shared the news on Sept. 15, announcing that fans will be able to leave letters for McPherson at shows
One-third of MUNA will be absent from the first few shows of the group’s fall tour to spend time with their ailing mother.
The indie pop trio — made up of Katie Gavin, Josette Maskin and Naomi McPherson — announced on Tuesday, Sept. 15 that McPherson, 33, will miss multiple shows at the beginning of the Gets So Hot tour to spend time with their mother Harriet, who is suffering from terminal cancer, during her “final days.”
MUNA shared the news of McPherson’s absence from the start of the upcoming tour, which kicks off in Philadelphia on Sept. 25, “with heavy hearts” in a statement shared to the group’s social media accounts. In the statement, the “Silk Chiffon” performers said that all tour dates will go on as scheduled, with a musician filling in for the absent member.
“Tragically, Naomi’s mother Harriet has been suffering for some time now from an extremely aggressive and terminal form of cancer that has escalated in severity over the past few weeks,” MUNA said in the statement. “Now, it has become clear that her passing will coincide with the beginning of this headline tour.”
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Because of the terminal nature of their mother’s illness, the group said, McPherson — who sings and plays guitar and synths in the pop trio — “has been at home with her for her final days and will be staying behind after we depart in order to take care of her affairs after her passing.”
The first tour stop at Philadelphia’s Highmark Mann is still scheduled as planned, MUNA shared, promising to update fans if anything changes. McPherson, who uses they/them pronouns, will miss this show, as well as the band’s concerts in Phoenix, Dallas, Austin, Nashville and Atlanta.
“It was important to Naomi that the shows happen with or without them, and so plans have been in the works to ensure this,” the group said in Tuesday’s statement.
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Musician Lou Roy will fill in for McPherson, MUNA said, urging fans to “give her an incredibly warm welcome.” In a statement of her own shared on Instagram Stories, Roy promised MUNA fans “to do my best to bring you guys the best shows we can in this absolutely insane moment.”
It is unclear whether Roy will fill in during McPherson’s absence at MUNA’s set at All Things Go music festival in New York City on Sept. 27 — a scheduled appearance separate from their headlining tour.
In the latter portion of Tuesday’s statement, MUNA — which Gavin, 33, Maskin, 32, and McPherson founded in 2013 — shared a bit about Harriet’s impact on the band, and revealed that there will be a letter drop available for fans to share notes with McPherson at the shows the guitarist will be absent from.
“When Naomi inevitably returns to the tour, they will do so with the knowledge that watching them play music is what filled Harriet with the most joy and pride. It is impossible to overstate the impact that Harriet has had on the band, and on our hearts and souls,” the group wrote. “We are heartbroken. She is simply one of the greatest, most wise and loving people and we are enraged and full of despair that she is being taken from us. We are also feeling so much love and gratitude for everything she has given and taught us, and for the way she raised her wonderful child.”
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“Whilst talking about playing these shows without Naomi, one of the things that kept coming up was how this is a way for us to honor them and Harriet right now, and we also know and trust that fans will want to be together and show their love and support for our sweetest member,” the band’s statement continued. “If you are coming to one of the shows Naomi won’t be at and want to send them some extra love, we will have a letter drop for them at the merch stand.”
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The group concluded the statement by acknowledging that “this is one of the hardest things we’ve gone through as a band,” before thanking MUNA fans “for giving our lives so much meaning and for supporting us as we face this.”
After its September start without McPherson, the North American leg of MUNA’s Gets So Hot tour will wrap on Oct. 21 at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado. The following month, the pop trio will head to Europe for the second leg of the tour, which will see them perform in France, the United Kingdom, Germany and more.
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