A Chat With Muscle Memory (24.01.25)
Muscle Memory, a duo born from the vibrant intersection of indie and electronic music, brings a fresh perspective to the live music scene. Known for their dynamic performances and genre-blurring artistry, they have transformed traditional concert experiences into energetic, inclusive dance celebrations. In this interview, Muscle Memory shares insights into their revolution, the unique appeal of their ‘INFINITE BEAT (!)’ party series, and their vision for the future.
OSR: As veterans of the indie and electronic scenes, how have your live performances evolved over time, and what can audiences expect from a Muscle Memory show now?
Muscle Memory: Our live shows these days give people a place to dance, socialise, party and connect with each other. We like to create environments where you can feel free. Performing dance music as opposed to ‘indie rock’ is a different world – it makes us very happy to see people laughing and dancing at our shows instead of only staring at the stage and bopping their heads to the music. Not that anything is wrong with that – it’s just a different energy and a welcome one.
OSR: You’re known for creating energetic, danceable grooves. How do you keep your live shows fresh and exciting while still staying true to your artistic vision?
Muscle Memory: We keep it fresh by taking the shows seriously while not taking ourselves too seriously. We put a lot of work into preparing the music, lights, and movement, but it’s all meant for pleasure, not just spectacle.
OSR: Your ‘INFINITE BEAT (!)‘ party series combines live music and DJ sets. How do you curate these events, and what makes them stand out in the NYC nightlife scene?
Muscle Memory: INFINITE BEAT (!) lovingly collides with music communities and blurs the line between a dance club environment and a live band performance. We invite fantastic NYC bands whose members can also DJ, and we all seamlessly keep the music going through the night between one band’s live set and another’s DJ set, and vice versa. People who are coming to see a band often don’t realize it’s also a party and end up getting to see a different side of a group they love.
OSR: What role does the audience play in shaping the vibe and direction of your live sets or DJ performances? How much improvisation is involved in your live shows?
Muscle Memory: Our live shows and DJ sets are reactive to the audience, but we also do our best to elevate and guide their experience. There is some improvisation in our live shows – particularly in our drumming and guitar – but our DJ sets are more improvisational in that the two of us take turns playing records one for one and often don’t know what we’ll be mixing in and out of. We’re constantly feeding off the energy of the dance floor and of each other.
OSR: What was the most memorable performance you’ve had with Muscle Memory so far, and how did it influence your creative approach moving forward?
Muscle Memory: One of our first shows was in the middle of a rave, in the middle of the night, in the middle of the woods. It was in a friend’s barn in the Catskills Mountains – they have this huge annual party with a bunch of DJs and it’s insanely fun. Since it was one of our first shows and everyone was dancing their asses off, it kind of set the bar for every show afterwards.
OSR: How do you feel about the relationship between the digital and vinyl releases of your music? Does the physical release still hold a special place for you in today’s streaming world?
Muscle Memory: We came together playing vinyl records at the Brooklyn club Nightmoves, our second home, and started to make music with the aim that it would fit snugly into one of those DJ sets. Having the physical 12” and being able to share the record with fellow DJs is a real joy. We always keep extra copies on hand to pass to DJ friends who might be at one of our sets. Many of the DJs we admire (like Justin Strauss, Paula Tape, and Eli Escobar) play a mix of vinyl and digital during their sets – so a vinyl release still feels like a beloved medium for DJs here. Obviously, our music is not just for DJs or the club so having our music in the streaming world is essential too.
OSR: As you continue to remix tracks for other artists, how does that experience influence your own original music, and what’s been your favourite remix project so far?
Muscle Memory: Remixing helps us get more experimental in our process and pushes us to find new approaches to music-making. Reimagining how a song could be both refines and expands our creative practice, which is reflected back into our work on our own music. In fact, for every release, we create the definitive single version of the track, and then we approach it as a remix artist to create a Club Mix version. Our favourite remix project so far has been with Blonde Redhead – working together in the studio with them has been really enjoyable as well as illuminating to see a bit into their creative process too.
OSR: Looking ahead, what are your plans for future releases or collaborations? Is there a specific direction or sound you’re excited to explore next?
Muscle Memory: We have a lot coming down the pipeline – more singles, remixes by artists we admire, music videos, live shows, INFINITE BEAT (!) parties – they all work in concert to form the Muscle Memory world that is spinning in devotion to pleasure. We are also excited to write new songs and have been making sketches for new work. We continue to keep the idea of making music that will fit into our DJ sets, and we’re also constantly digging and expanding and refining what we DJ, so our new material will reflect that.
OSR: What is the most exciting part about your journey as Muscle Memory, and where do you see the project heading over the next couple of years?
Muscle Memory: The most exciting part is seeing our music out in the world and seeing people dance and react to it. We’re just getting going, so we’re in that honeymoon phase and feel privileged to share and participate in our NYC music community. We have this ‘sky’s the limit’ feeling as we get ready for our future releases.
OSR: Finally, with your new single ‘Get Lost’, what do you hope people take away from the track and your live performances?
Muscle Memory: We feel ‘Get Lost’ is a good song to both cry and sweat to. Same with our live shows – you do you, and we’re here for that.
Many thanks to Muscle Memory for speaking with us! Find out more about Muscle Memory on their official website, Instagram, TikTok, Bandcamp and Spotify.
