INTERVIEW: Australia’s Dolce Blue discuss their inspirations and influence alongside new single ‘Sugar Free’

Having just dropped their highly-praised studio album ‘Sweet Melancholy’ last year, Australia’s Dolce Blue recently returned to unveil their vibrant new single ‘Sugar Free’.

Honing more of that riveting indie-rock appeal they have become synonymous for lately, ‘Sugar Free’ is another dazzling addition to their already impressive repertoire to date. So we caught up with singer Veronica Zurzolo to find out more about what has been inspiring her sound over the years.

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What was the first rock song or artist that made an impact on you?

Good Charlotte were the first rock band to make an impact on me, I was completely obsessed with them when I was 12/13. I had all their CDs and would play them on repeat, reflecting back I think they’re still great songwriters who can create catchy hooks, and absolutely nail those vocal harmonies! 

Who are some of your biggest musical influences within the rock genre?

Stevie Nicks, Kate Bush, Arctic Monkeys, The Black Keys, The Strokes, No Doubt, and Måneskin! 

Are there any non-rock musicians or genres that have also influenced your music?

I love to listen to a wide variety of genres. I also draw inspiration from artists Lana Del Rey, Kali Uchis, Raye, ELIZA, and Clairo. 

What is your main inspiration when looking to write new music?

I read in one of my uni textbooks that “It has often been said that a writer (or artist) is someone who is struck by things that others just walk by” in a chapter that talks about how inspiration can be found in our surroundings. This quote summarises my approach to writing music really well. I’m never looking or forcing myself to find inspiration and write new music, the inspiration usually finds me, it could be from my relationships (friends, family, love), my experiences, or things that I observe around me that just take up a space in my brain that I can’t ignore when I go to write.

What do you enjoy most about performing live and do you have any memorable live performance experiences you’d like to share?

I absolutely love the feeling of being onstage alongside my best friends in Dolce Blue. I love the feeling of excitement and nervousness that takes over as I talk to and perform songs for an audience. It’s a crazy and rewarding feeling to be looking into a room of faces fixated on what you’re going to do next. A memorable live performance for me was a single launch we did in 2021 at a local venue, The Bird (in Perth/ Western Australia), it was one of our first sold out shows and there were just so many people singing along to our songs, and at one point a beach ball was being hit around, and I got to hit it back into the mosh with my guitar when it was headed toward me on stage! 

What has been a particularly rewarding moment in your musical journey so far?

Creating and releasing our second album was really rewarding for many reasons. It’s such a collaborative process not just within the band, but brought us closer with our engineer, photographer, label, publicist, and merch manufacturer. When we actually got to releasing it there was such lovely feedback from people who just actually enjoyed the songs. When we toured the album, we also got to get to know other musicians that came along with us better, and met so many new, lovely people who enjoyed the release. These connections and the community that the album created was so rewarding, on top of already being super happy to just be releasing some music. 

How would you define success as a musician?

My definition of success as a musician is when people ask me “what I do” I can say that I am a full-time musician. Unfortunately, where we are at the moment, music doesn’t make enough money to quit our ‘day jobs’, but that’s alright – it means that I write songs like our new single ‘Sugar Free’ about how I wish music was my full time job! 

What advice would you give to aspiring artists who are just starting out?

Take your time! There’s no rush to be releasing all your music and playing 3 shows every weekend, take some time to plan out what you want to do and do your research on how you’re going to do it! Set realistic goals and work sustainably toward them so you don’t burn out, and take your time to enjoy your wins.

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Listen to Dolce Blue’s new single ‘Sugar Free’ below.