Premiere: Adrian Dzvuke shares his defining debut EP, Phone Me When You Lonely

In the scope of Perth's music space, Adrian Dzvuke has always seemed one step ahead. When he made an introduction back in 2018, the Zimbabwean-born musician introduced himself through his strong-armed musicianship and the eclectic mix of sounds he showcased that through, something that eventually grew more pronounced as he diversified his discography with songs through 2019. There was mixes of indie, electronica, hip-hop and R&B all amongst a rich pop backbone; each song having this addictive and earworming nature. regardless of which genre it would eventually fall into.

Nowadays, Adrian Dzvuke is an artist synonymous with the adventurous spirit of Perth's music community; someone always willing to bush the boundaries - musical and personal boundaries - for the sake of his art. He's an in-demand collaborator working alongside fellow ones-to-watch such as Supathick and Otiuh, while music of his own - April's Take Your Time, June's Red Wine, August's Heartbreaker and this month's Phone Me When You Lonely - has seen him continually evolve, reaffirming his presence as someone tearing down the conventions and furthering himself with every release.

He's a multi-dimensional, multi-faceted artist that constantly feels ahead of the curve, and on his debut EP Phone Me When You Lonely, it's something he succeeds in showcasing better than anything else he's ever done thus far. Premiering on Pilerats today ahead of its official release tomorrow (September 17th), Phone Me When You Lonely is simultaneously journey-encapsulating and career-defining for Dzvuke, emphasising the road that finishes at current-day and the wealth of talent and prowess he's shown us throughout that time.

It's something that's present in the EP's production, as Dzvuke - alongside his go-to producer, Connor Lawson - delve into sounds that span throughout Adrian Dzvuke's tastes, from the flourishes of indie that nestle themselves in the guitar work of Red Wine and Eye Feel right through to pop backbone that brings everything together. It's something that twists and turns throughout the EP's eight tracks, swerving with left-field touches and a broad range of textures that really see Dzvuke's sonic versatility shine on a scale that hasn't happened before.

Then, there's the way that Dzvuke makes each production his own, capturing the infectiousness of his pop sound - as well as its fleeting moments in more soulful-esque R&B and hip-hop - through lyricism that descends into his journey and ties everything together brilliantly. It welcomes every side of the musician to the forefront, as his personal growth becomes just as pronounced as his musical growth - which over the course of Phone Me When You Lonely, makes itself abundantly clear.

"I always knew I wanted to showcase all versions of myself in my first project," he says on the project, which is launched with a series of shows over the next few months. "Being raised in Zimbabwe and moving to Australia at age 12 was quite a significant time in my life as I now realise how that influenced me as an artist. I always had a hard time fitting into specific groups all through primary school and high school because I was friends with everyone.

"Being an African immigrant people would also expect me to act a certain way or be friends with certain people," he continues. "I never understood this and I guess I've always made efforts to make sure everyone around me felt included and tried my best to build bridges between friendship groups. I say all this because, now that I look back, I realise that this EP is exactly that. It's music that travels in different worlds without feeling the need to be anything but itself."

It's all something that ties into a great message Adrian Dzvuke is trying to communicate; a message of resilience and knowing your worth, especially if you're someone that doesn't see themselves within much of Australian culture due to your background. "I realised that there are certain expectations society has for what an artist who looks like me to sound like, especially from Perth where growing up I didn’t have anyone who looked like me in the Australian music scene to look up to," he says. "I hope a kid who looks like me listens to this project and realises they can do whatever they want without feeling boxed in."

It's one hell of an EP, and as mentioned, it comes alongside a littering of dates throughout the year. You can find those below, but otherwise, take a dive into Phone Me When You Lonely, as the EP premieres on Pilerats now:

Tour Dates: 

Saturday Sep 18 - The Bird, Northbridge
Saturday Sep 25 - Settlers Tavern, Margaret River
Sunday Sep 26 - Clancys, Dunsborough
Saturday Oct 2 - Roebuck Bay Hotel, Broome
Saturday Oct 9 - Oktoberfest, Perth
Friday Oct 22 - YMCA HQ, Leederville (All Ages)
Saturday Nov 13 - Freo.Social, Fremantle
Thursday Dec 2 - The Toff, Melbourne
Friday Dec 3 - BLOOM, Sydney

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