Washington, DC’s emo outfit Muhnday drops their new single “Straight Face” today, and it’s a jagged little shard of honesty aimed straight at the gut.
Hailing from the gritty edges of the DMV scene, this four-piece—Alan on guitar and vocals, Diaz on bass, Matt splitting guitar and vocal duties, and Tyler banging drums while also pitching in on vox—lays bare the mess of family strain and the exhaustion of pretending it’s all fine. Tracked by Tyler Austin, mixed by Brian Swindle, and mastered by Justin Bartlett, the song hits with a clarity that matches its unfiltered core.
“‘Straight Face’ is about that inner struggle—putting on a mask and pretending everything’s fine when it’s not,” the band shares. “It’s about the pressure of keeping it together, especially when things with family or friends are falling apart. You reach a point where you can’t hide it anymore, and that’s where the song comes in—it’s raw, honest, and a bit of a release.”
The lyrics back this up, cutting through the haze with lines like, “It’s been awhile since I seen my mom and dad / Cause we’re not on the best of terms / And it hurts real bad,” before sliding into the resigned sting of the chorus: “Where did you go / When I needed you most / You withdrew, inhaling smoke.” There’s no polish here—just the ache of unanswered questions and the weight of being left to figure it out alone.
The track doesn’t shy away from the mess. “I always felt out of place / And it’s okay to feel that way / Fuck it / Ima mess and I’m not all right,” they admit in the second verse, letting the frustration spill over.
The bridge—“Bloody noses and bruises / I guess that’s what brothers are for”—hints at literal or metaphorical fights, the kind that leave marks you can’t explain away. By the time they hit the outro, “Trying to fit into a place I don’t belong / I’m pretending I’m okay / While keeping a straight face,” it’s less a cry for help than a tired shrug at a story that’s played out too many times.
For Muhnday, putting this down was as much about the process as the product. “Recording this was just as expressive as writing it,” they explain. “Tyler Austin helped engineer and produce this as well as gave us drums for it. When we all write together, it’s always an unforgettable life moment because as of right now these are some of our first tracks getting out there which makes it a little more personal.” That rawness carries through—the song’s not just a confession, it’s a snapshot of where they’re at, teetering on the edge of something bigger.
The DMV scene’s been a lifeline for them, too.
“Being part of the DMV scene has been nothing short of amazing for us,” they say. “We’ve had the privilege of sharing shows with bands in the scene like Bellweather, Pinky Lemon, Torrents, and the support we’ve received from other bands like Colo and outsiders like Nervous Surface and their North Carolina crew putting us on our first show and first tour coming up in March.”
It’s a tight-knit world, and Muhnday’s not taking it for granted. “These bands are not only incredibly talented but also just great people who truly care about the community. Whether it’s the energy they bring to the stage or how they support the scene, they’ve shown us what it means to create together.”
That first tour’s on the horizon, and they’re hitting the road hard: March 6 at Reggie’s in Wilmington, NC; March 7 at Shrimpstock in Charlotte, NC; March 8 at TheAnnex in Norfolk, VA; March 13 at TheGarage in Boyd’s, MD; and March 28 at ThePocket in DC.
It’s a chance to shake out the tension of “Straight Face” in front of crowds who might get it—people who’ve felt that same pull between holding it together and letting it fall apart.
The song itself, as they put it, “conveys feelings of an internal strain on family, and a deep sense of not belonging.
They reflect unresolved hurt, unanswered questions, and frustration with conflict. There’s a mix of anger, resignation, and loneliness, underscored by the struggle to appear okay while dealing with inner turmoil.”
That’s the thread running through it—anger that doesn’t quite know where to land, loneliness that’s too heavy to shake, and a mask that’s starting to crack. “We hope people can connect with that feeling of being at your limit and finally…
