What inspired “Liars & Tigers & Bears,” your song with Megan Moroney?

I was inspired by the tenderness of the entertainment industry. To quote Hunter S. Thompson, “The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side.”

Fill in the blanks: “Be Sweet to Me” is a cross between ______ and ______.

“Be Sweet to Me” is a cross between night terrors and daydreaming.

What inspired MUD?

I was really influenced by wood. Acoustic guitars and log cabins. Lucinda Williams. Paul McCartney. Warm, organic sounds that make me feel warm inside. But more than anything, I was inspired by the people around me. Almost everyone I wrote this album with has been in my life for over 10 years. We know each other so deeply, and there’s so much trust between us. I think that gave me the freedom to be really vulnerable and dive into personal stories without feeling like I had to protect myself or make anything prettier than it actually was.

What inspired ¿Dónde Es el After?

Beto Montenegro: A lot of this album came from contrast. We were living some of the biggest and happiest moments of our career while, at the same time, watching the world—especially Venezuela—go through very complicated moments. I think ¿Dónde Es el After? became our way of processing all of that without losing joy. Rawayana has always believed that celebration can also be meaningful. The “after” is obviously a party, but for us it also became a place where people meet, escape for a second, connect and imagine something different. Musically, we wanted that same freedom: Caribbean music, electronic, reggae, pop, Venezuelan sounds—whatever felt honest, without worrying too much about where it belonged.