Before up-and-coming pair DJ Mia Moretti and violinist Caitlin Moe hit the stage at the star-studded Carrera Sunglasses' West 37th Street rooftop penthouse bash over the weekend, Niteside caught up with the dynamic duo to talk about how they found each other, what they have in store for the Manhattan dance scene and why Katy Perry has an open invitation to jump in the booth with them.
How did you guys find each other?
Mia: Well one night I was the guest DJing at Ella Lounge and Caitlin was the guest performer. I think I called her after that. Then Lollapalooza was out first gig. We played the Rock The Vote after parties last year.
Caitlin: We’re doing that same party this year, and I’m not sure if it’s confirmed yet but we might be playing one of the actual stages. I hope so.
What was the biggest show you ever played?
Mia: Well, for SXSW we played Perez Hilton’s showcase, and it was just dope.
Caitlin: I swear there were thousands of people listening to us.
Mia: That was the biggest gig that we’ve ever had. We played an hour before Snoop (Dogg) took the stage. It was ridiculous. It was so loud we couldn’t even hear ourselves so I was making sure the mix was on and then giving the headphones to Caitlin so she could listen while she was playing the violin.
Caitlin: Of course the AXE Lounge at Sundance was also amazing. We were flying in from the Bahamas and the cab that we took from the airport was moving slower than time because there was a terrible snowstorm. We made a video message to our fans saying if they never saw us again it was because we were buried in Utah. We actually did make it and something about the adrenaline we had pumping but the show was amazing.
Do you ever rehearse?
Mia: When we have time, we usually don’t. We never play the same set really.
Caitlin: Especially when we’re playing in New York we want everyone in the room to be having a new experience really.
Mia: It’s just like when I DJ, I taper every set to the party. How drunk are these people? How crowded is the room? Is there another performer after me? I take all that information seriously when I’m playing a set list.
Caitlin: Whenever we plan a set Mia is so bad about keeping to it. She always wants to change the song we start off with at the last minute. I try to keep her on track with what she picked before.
What’s your favorite song to play during a set?
Mia: I think anything by Gossip has got a place on our set list.
Caitlin: Recently we have been playing “Kids” by MGMT a lot. That’s always a great hit at the show.
Mia: Yes, and anything by the Gossip. I really mean it we love them.
What was the coolest person you ever got to perform for?
Mia: Oh, probably Ne-Yo. We love him.
Caitlin: He gave us a standing ovation at the Cosmopolitan Fun & Fearless Men event.
Mia: When all those hot men came up on stage our mouths dropped. It was especially fun because we got to pick which songs matched with each man.
You play a lot of celebrity events, what’s been one of the great experiences from interacting with famous musicians’?
Mia: We were just in Canada for Perez Hilton’s One Night In Toronto showcase and I did a remix with my friend Cory Enemy for Katy Perry’s next single, which is called “Peacock.” Caitlin plays the violin on the remix. So Katy was at the party, came up on stage to announce the song and dance with us while we played it. It was a huge premiere because the song isn’t coming out for a while, but the crowd loved it. Sometimes you’ll get the random celebrity that wants to jump on the tables with you but it’s always more cool when you are premiering a song or a collaboration, like we did with Katy.
Did you talk to Katy before that night?
Mia: She actually hadn’t heard the remix until earlier that day but she really liked it thankfully. So she was willing to use it to help premiere her new track. The album doesn’t come out until Aug. 24 so I don't think her label was too happy about it. But it was great for us.
Do you have any tracks that you play because the audience begs for them?
Caitlin: I think “Kids” is probably the biggest guilty pleasure we play, and that’s not as bad as it gets. We never really play any songs that we’re ashamed of -- you won’t see too much Rhianna or Britney Spears. Although we do have a great Rosco remix of “Alejandro” by Lady Gaga that everyone loves.
What do you have planned for New York City? Any shows going up?
Mia: We are actually looking to do a monthly residency here in the city, we just need to decide what kind of party we want to do.
Caitlin: Oh I know, how about that silent party that we did at Bonnaroo? We had this tent where everyone watching out show was given headphones and no one outside the party could hear the music. It was one of the most surreal shows we ever played.
Mia: Yeah that might be a lot of fun! I was really funny when we started playing the chorus of MGMT’s “Kids,” everyone started singing along but the people outside couldn’t hear what they were singing to.
Caitlin: It was so trippy. I’ve never seen that in New York.
Mia: All of our fans and friends in the city want to see us play but all the gigs we play are so random. We just need to find a venue. We’ve always like the Santos Party House but we need to look around.
Keep tabs on Mia and Caitlin's website (www.stringsandneedles.tumblr.com) for show information and more.
