The Blissful Euphoria and Optimism of Memphis LK’s Dance Music

This interview is part of our Future of Music 2026 series. Follow all the coverage here.

Memphis LK has always understood that dance music can hit hardest when it lets a little heartbreak in.

The Melbourne singer-songwriter, producer, and DJ, born Memphis Kelly, first stepped into her solo era in 2019 after previously making music as part of Saatsuma.

Having learned Ableton as a teenager, she built her world from the ground up, carving out a sound rooted in electronic music but guided by feeling as much as rhythm.

Across EPs including 1, Too Much Fun, True Love and Consequences, and Say, Memphis LK has refined a style that sits in the sweet spot between melancholy and euphoria. Influenced by artists like Ian Van Dahl, DJ Sammy, and Grimes, her music is both club-ready and deeply intimate.

That balance has made her a compelling presence on festival stages too, with sets at Splendour in the Grass, Beyond the Valley, Listen Out, Pitch Music & Arts, The Great Escape, and Way Out West, alongside recognition from the AIR Awards and Music Victoria Awards.

Memphis started 2026 as she means to go on, playing in front of a sold-out 10,000 capacity crowd at AO Live in support of SOFI TUKKER and The Veronicas.

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She arrived at AO Live following a huge end to 2025, including an electrifying collaboration with DJ HEARTSTRING and SWIM on “No Tomorrow”.

Her 2026 singles, “Some Kinda Heaven” and “Out My Body”, feel especially luminous. The songs capture what Memphis LK does best: turning tension, tenderness, and release into immersive modern dance music.

Arriving as she embraces motherhood with her new baby, Xuri, Memphis’ 2026 drops carry a fresh sense of perspective without losing the pulse that has always powered her work. Memphis LK’s music still belongs to the dancefloor, but it lingers long after the lights come up.

Read an exclusive interview with Memphis LK below.

Rolling Stone AU/NZ: What does it mean to you to be included in Rolling Stone’s Future of Music series?

Memphis LK: I just love making music so it’s cool to be recognised alongside many awesome artists

How did you first get your start in music?

I started producing electronic music singing over beats I’d looped on GarageBand and putting them on SoundCloud. When I discovered Ableton something clicked and I realised I could make sounds I heard in my head with just my computer. From there I just produced every minute I could get. During that time I was also teaching myself how to mix vinyl with a box of Chicago house records I bulk bought off eBay, so the DJing and production kinda fed into and inspired each other.

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Describe your sound to a new listener in three words.

Clubbing in heaven.

Tell us about your latest release.

My latest single “Out My Body” is about the feeling of pure euphoria on the dancefloor, where you can be free of the stresses of life and fully let go. It’s reminiscent of the nostalgia and optimism of dance music in the early 2000s.

What’s your favourite career memory so far?

Probably the first ever ‘true love rave’ I put on… It was in my home city, we sold out in an hour, and it was just a massive sweaty feral fun party.

What are the positives and negatives of being a musician in 2026?

The double-edged sword of social media, giving us the ability to reach literally anyone and everyone around the world but having to fight hard to get your music heard as a result of that. You really have to be so committed and creative to reach people, but if you get it right it can be the most incredible tool ever.

What’s one thing you’d change about the ANZ music industry?

I would pay everyone a million dollars a year just for being a musician and make it illegal to not listen to my music

Are you hopeful for the future of music in ANZ?

I am, because there is a massive wave of crazy good dance music coming out of AUS/NZ right now — it’s being recognised globally and it’s impossible to ignore. It’s exciting that producers and DJs in Australia are being championed right now, and I think that it can only go up from here.

What’s coming up for you this year?

I’ve just finished up my ‘heaven is a warehouse’ tour which was sold out and soo epic. I’m playing a bunch of festivals later in the year, and have lots more music coming out as well, some of my best ever. [I] also will be doing a lot of hanging out with my goated and gorgeous baby Xuri.