[INTERVIEW] Dolly Ave: A Natural Creator

Dolly Ave is a Los Angeles based indie-pop artist who will release her coming-of-age anthem “This Is Our Time” in 2023. The cathartic song is the lead single and title track from her upcoming full-length debut album releasing via Venice Music this Fall.

In 2022, Dolly Ave completed a mini-tour with SoFar Sounds and she was an official artist selection performing at SXSW ’22. In May, she performed for an Amazon Music fundraiser at The Grammy Museum. As a songwriter, Dolly recently co-wrote the track “DUMB” for MIYAVI which released through entertainment conglomerate Bandai Namco.

Her music touches on intimate and vulnerable topics over soundscapes that weave between pop, R&B, soul and electronic music.

Check out her interview with HypnoticAsia below!

Please introduce yourself to the HypnoticAsia readers.

Hello my name is Dolly Ave. I am a Vietnamese American artist releasing my debut album “This Is Our Time” early 2023. My music weaves between pop and indie alternative sounds. Thank you for having me!

How did you get into music?

When I was younger I was completely immersed in concert DVDS my parents would purchase and leave on in the background during dinner parties.

I got so excited seeing the whole production – choreography, lights, cheering. From this inspiration my cousins and I would create mini productions during our “bored” days. We’d choreograph dance moves and sing along to Disney Channel theme songs.

What has been your biggest musical influence?

It’s hard to exactly pinpoint my biggest musical influence because I listened to a lot of different music growing up. My youth was a blend of punk, indie, and soul.

You’ll be releasing your full-length album soon! How would you say this upcoming album differs from your debut EP?

My last album was centered around love and heartbreak. This upcoming album is focused on themes of empowerment, death, and transition into adulthood.

Tell us about the process in creating this upcoming album?

It was a challenge. I started off more upbeat funk and then towards a country soundscape. Eventually I landed on this consistent sound that is now the album. Honestly I just let myself experiment. My main focus was having a sound that made me want to dance and scream and jump.

What can your listeners expect from the new album and is there a particular track on the upcoming album you’d like to recommend?

My favorite song on the album at the moment is “Crash.” It was the first song I wrote that helped me understand where I wanted to take this album. I wrote about my issue with existentialism and understanding death and how to overcome it.

In 2021 and 2022, you joined Miyavi on tour both internationally and in Japan. Tell us about that experience?

I learned so much from MIYAVI being on tour. My childhood was centered around a lot of shame and embarrassment wanting to sing and express myself. This would manifest into struggling with stage fright and sharing songs. This tour taught me to let all of that go. I learned to sing in Japanese, experiment with different harmonies, and confirming that music is what I want to do. He really cares about the whole production from lights to the guitar sounds.

We also heard that you co-wrote the track “DUMB” for Miyavi! Tell us about that!

It was spontaneous! I showed up at the studio to say hello and they were messing with this track. The melody was still being figured out and after being on tour with MIYAVI I could imagine him singing what would now become the chorus melody.

I happened to jokingly mention the word “Dumb” and the rest is history.

Aside from music, you also do photography! You are an award-winning photographer and have worked with Kendrick Lamar, Chance The Rapper and more. How did you get into photography and what do you enjoy most about it? Do you think this creative side also helps with your music?

I picked up photography after moving so often which gave me the ability to document my changing environment.

Photography allowed me to learn the ins and outs of music from a branding and visual standpoint. I learned to shoot, direct, produce, edit my own videos and photo shoots.

The most important thing that my visual background helped me with was being self-sufficient. Starting out I didn’t have a team and I needed to motivate and rely on myself to share music. Now that I do have a team I make sure to appreciate people who are supporting and investing their time in me.