Lets put aside the continuing uncertainty for live music due to the pandemic and instead celebrate fresh new music. Memes are amongst several bands looking to build on progress made in 2021. I took the opportunity to have a chat with the duo to learn more about their music, of their plans for 2022 and their thoughts on a trip to a certain festival held in Texas in the spring.
Hi Memes. How is December treating you?
Could you introduce yourselves and describe your music?
Hi Julia, at the time of writing, we have unfortunately had to announce postponement of our Glasgow headline show until April next year, so we are good but wishing we could play live this weekend! We’ll be back next year though.
Our music can be summed up as fast, short and sharp songs that is bass and drums led, even though we don’t have a drummer (and one of the songs is 7 minutes long)…
Congratulations on the news that you are heading to Texas in March 2022 for SXSW. After missing out last year and performing online with a pre-recorded set, what does it mean to you to be going to Austin?
Thank you, yeah it’s really exciting to be going to SXSW in the flesh this year. It’s so iconic and it’s something we’ve always wanted to be a part of.
With gigs finally happening in the second half of 2021 you have had some fantastic support slots including Sprints, Joe and The Shitboys, and The Rills. How does it feel to be going onstage in front of another bands crowd? As a gig-goer I sense a real difference post-lockdown and audiences seem to be more appreciative of support bands because they love live music. Would you agree?
Yeah we’ve had some great shows at home and in Europe this year and it’s just been great to play to live audiences again. We’ve played with some top bands too, as you’ve mentioned. We quite like playing to an audience that hasn’t heard of us before, it brings out the defiance in us. The feeling of trying to prove yourself keeps you on your toes.
All of the audiences we have played to post lockdown have been great and I think you’re right, people are just really glad to have live music back and I think we have all realised how much we missed it.
Your sets have a real energy about them which is surprising really considering you are dressed like CSI at a crime scene! With your own headline shows in Scotland this month, how different does it feel being the headline?
We just take the same approach to all gigs really. If we are supporting or headlining, if there are 2 people there or 2,000, we give it full energy and put everything into it. We don’t really adapt our thinking for different shows or venues.
If the band doesn’t work out, we at least have the outfits to start a pest control business!
Your latest single ‘Heavy Night‘ has had airplay on BBC Radio6Music, most notably by Amy Lame.
How does it feel to hear your music on national radio?
Yeah it’s always really nice to hear the songs on radio and we’ve had great support from a few stations and DJs, something that we are always grateful for.
John presented an hour of music of EHFM recently with an eclectic mix. What are your musical influences and who do you enjoy listening to?
It’s always hard to answer this ha! However, the current MEMES favourite is a live collaboration between Damo Suzuki and Black Midi, we listen to it a lot when travelling to and from gigs if we’re driving and Can x Black Midi is a winning formula for us.
The inevitable final question, putting to one side the pandemic and possible government restrictions, what are the plans for 2022? Is there new music to come? And any more juicey support slots to look forward to?
There is indeed new music coming soon, we will likely have a new single out early in 2022 and we will be back to focus on live gigs asap too. Our next show is at Moth Club in 5th Feb in London with Joe and the Shitboys and The Byker Grove Fanclub and more to be finalised and to come!
For more information on Memes please check out their facebook and instagram pages.
