Entertainment

Meet Adrian Dzvuke, The Perth Music Prodigy You Need To Add To Your Playlist

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Adrian Dzvuke Preforming On Stage

We couldn't be luckier to be home to some incredible talent here in Perth—especially when it comes to music. 

We had the honour of chatting with Adrian Dzvuke, a Perth local taking the music scene by storm ahead of his performance at Karrinyup's Stage One Launch

Best known for his track 'Bad Like Ri Ri', which boasts a cool 122,000 streams on Spotify, if Adrian's slick beats aren't already on your playlist, they should be. 

 Read on and get to know Perth's music prodigy. 

For those who don't know you, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?  

My name's Adrian, and I'm a Zimbabwean-born artist based in Perth. My family moved to WA in 2008, and it's been home ever since. 

What's your earliest music memory? 

I remember "writing" my first song and singing it to my parents whilst dancing around the house with my little sister when I was about 9—I can still remember the melody.

What inspires your music? How has growing up in Perth inspired your sound?

I'd say hearing different sounds and rhythms inspires my music. I find joy in the process of songwriting itself rather than the actual finished product. It's weird because when I listen back to songs I've written or produced in the past, I can usually tell which sounds I was into at the time. 

Growing up in Perth, I wasn't really aware of the music scene here; most of my influences were from the US—it was all I had ever known from growing up listening to a lot of Gospel music before getting into R&B in high school. 

It's only in the last few years that I have started to understand the Western Australian scene and what it has to offer. I remember discovering Pond and Tame Impala for the first time and being obsessed with the use of synths in their music, and now I've found myself incorporating those sounds into my music as well. I think because Perth is so isolated, artists can hone in on their craft and create freely without the pressure of sounding a certain way. It's such a privilege to be part of the WA music scene. 

What's been the proudest moment of your music career so far?

Playing at HBF Stadium earlier this year with San Cisco & Stella Donnelly was super fun and something I'm really proud of.

It was also amazing to film my first TV commercial as part of Karrinyup's WA on Stage campaign this year, working alongside some of the state's most talented creatives. From the crew and the team behind the scenes to Billie-Jean Hamlet and Nicole Trunfio and dancers from Co3 – the vibe on set was amazing, and I'm looking forward to people seeing the finished product.

How did your latest track,'Red Wine' come about?

Around March last year, when we had our first lockdown, I went through a time where I wasn't feeling my best mentally, and those feelings inspired the song. The song originally was a slower tempo, but then we sped it up because I wanted it to be a fun song about being sad.

What's the writing process like for you?

The process is quite different every time. Sometimes I start with a melody and record it on my voice notes, then take it to the studio before building around it, or sometimes it comes from a chord progression I've had in my head for a while. I've learnt that the best way to create is to set aside time for it because this allows your mind to be ready. It's important not to force it if you aren't feeling inspired at that moment, though. I go with the flow.

'Darling' is such a vibe, and the music video is stunning—how did it all come together?

I was obsessed with the word 'darling' at that time because it's such a beautiful word, and I wanted to write a song with it in it. I went into the studio and recorded a demo freestyle take on top of an instrumental I had. Then we ended up mainly keeping that demo vocal take because it just felt so organic and fun.

The video was a blast to shoot, it was my first working with Perth videographer JustPlay Media, and we had so much fun with it.

When it comes to style, how would you describe your approach?

I think my style has gone from being heavily influenced by people I admire to whatever feels comfortable but refreshing at the same time.

Where and when can we catch you next on stage?

I will be performing live on the Boom Box Stage at 6.30 pm on Thursday 29th July at the Karrinyup launch. Then we're gearing up for some big solo shows. Stay tuned!

What's next on the horizon for you?

I'm currently gearing up to release my debut EP, "phone me when you lonely", and for my first Australian Tour later this year to support it. I can't wait!

And finally, do you have any advice for people looking to following in your footsteps and launch their music career?

I think the first thing is having a vision for your career and believing in it. This usually starts with the music before progressing. Once you have a clear vision, you need a solid team around you of people you can trust and work towards that with. I have been so blessed to have the most wonderful team, and we have a lot of exciting things planned for the future.

Amping to see Adrian perform? Catch him at Karrinyup's launch, celebrating the first stage of the centre's massive expansion rolling out over the coming months. Head here to find out more. 

Editor’s note: This article is sponsored by Karrinyup and proudly endorsed by The Urban List. To find out more about who we work with and why read our editorial policy here.

Image Credit: Adrian Dzvuke on Instagram.

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