When you’ve spent decades hanging around musicians, and listening to records with album covers that are mostly faded and the sleeves are falling apart, you get pretty good at spotting when an artist is really starting to find their groove. On ZUZY's latest single "Up To Me," she sings a line that grabs your attention instantly. "Make up your mind, you’re boring."
We asked ZUZY what's behind the lyrics and if she’d been waiting for the right moment to use them.
"It was right there when the frustration hit. I came back from overseas and started looking more closely at the people I spent my time with and the partners I was choosing. I realised my standards had dropped. I’d started treating the bare minimum as something flattering.... They were easygoing, agreeable, happy for me to make every decision. And once they realised I could, apparently that became my permanent job. All the chemistry of a glass of flat mineral water. Have an opinion. Pick something. Give me something to bounce off! I already know what I think - I was hoping to meet you. By the time “Make up your mind, you’re boring” came out, I was tired, annoyed and already losing interest. If everything’s up to me, I’m choosing to leave it there."
You may be surprised to learn she has a Bachelor of Music Education from Szczecin (a port city in Poland), but the textbooks get thrown out the window when ZUZY performs her improv looping gigs. We asked her how much of her Uni theory sits behind the chaos when she builds a track live on stage.
"There’s definitely theory behind the chaos. Music education gave me a foundation, but it also gave me people to make music with - bands, choirs, collaborations. It made me focus on things long enough for some of them to actually stick. But I also found it restrictive... Following rules can make things feel confined, and I like flexibility. Looping lets me create on the go, experiment and hear what happens as I add things. My ears are the biggest judge now! I’m glad I have that foundation, but I don’t want to be bound by a rule just because somebody came up with it - probably a man, probably a long time ago. I’d rather listen and decide whether I actually like it. The rules can have an opinion. They don’t get the final say."
What makes "Up To Me" pop out of the speakers is the slick, up-beat danceable bassline and the lyrics that slap you in the face. It really is a standout track, which has been getting high rotation on Local Sounds Radio. We asked ZUZY if it was a challenge to get the balance right on this track.
"It wasn’t really hard. I feel strongly about the subject, and I’m very comfortable putting a beat behind a strong opinion. I wanted the music to reflect that passion and chaos, so it couldn’t be slow and gloomy. The pumping bassline was one of the first things that came along, and I love it. It’s actually much more interesting than many men I’ve dated. And the guitar solo is the culmination of “I am absolutely fed up with this.” “Dumping a partner” makes it sound more serious than it was. These were more casual situationships. I believe in field research before making decisions, and that means actually meeting people and spending time with them. Ask serious questions and everybody can be very well rehearsed - especially online, where technology and AI can help polish the answers. I want to know who I’m spending time with, not how good their answers look after editing. That casual stage matters to me. It gives me space to see how we actually get along and notice whether there’s curiosity, stimulation and an opinion that hasn’t just been borrowed from me. I’m prioritising brains, inspiration and mutual curiosity. So yes, “a lyrical slap in the face” is a fantastic description. That’s exactly what I wanted."
We asked ZUZY how putting down roots on the coast has shaped her work and how she navigates an industry that loves putting people into neat little boxes.
"Being on the Gold Coast has helped tremendously. Before moving here, I was preoccupied with relationships and everything else. That was me pre-therapy - a completely different version of me. Here, I found the headspace to create, with an ocean to visit every sunset, mountains to explore and dark skies for stargazing. I’m a little whimsical and easily distracted by the moon, so geographically, this works. I don’t feel obliged to fit into the Gold Coast scene or any other box or label. Just because there’s a majority doesn’t mean I have to join it. I thought this was somewhere you went on holiday or retired, but living here revealed so much more: families, a thriving children’s entertainment business of my own, and great people working to make the place more artistic, musical and… culture-y. The support has been real, too. My three-song project is supported by City of Gold Coast Arts Development Fund. I’m incredibly grateful to the City’s Arts and Culture team for helping me turn ideas into music and videos I could put into the world. I can’t imagine living in Brisbane or moving back to Melbourne right now. Here, I have space to create, heal, make mistakes and grow - and find my crowd of curious, energetic people who might also interrupt a conversation to point at the sky. This feels like the right time and place for me."
Her previous work, like "Gravel Road," was about solitude and self-trust. "Up To Me," on the other hand, steps up to the mic and shows who's in control. On first listen, they sound like two completely different songs, but there's a strong thread tying them together.
"They’re different expressions of the same person - me. “Gravel Road” feels more feminine to me: movement, freedom, solitude and not needing somebody. “Up To Me” brings out my more masculine side. I can take charge and get things done, but I don’t always want to. Sometimes I like to lead; sometimes I’d like someone else to bring something. Being a children’s entertainer and a musician adds another layer. I think people sometimes expect me to provide all the energy, be funny, be charismatic - basically do all the entertaining. I can do that. It’s also my job. Spending time with me doesn’t automatically mean you’ve booked a show. I’m so many things, and I want space to be the quieter versions too. There’s a cycle between the songs. “Gravel Road” is where I rebuild my confidence, spend time in nature and feel creative again. Then I attract somebody, realise I’m not entirely satisfied… and back to the trees I go. I’ve even compared it to a menstrual cycle - all those different versions of me taking their turn. That’s why I call my music “Sour Cream.” A little sour, a little cream. “Gravel Road” is the cream, “Up To Me” is the sour, and the third song brings another side into it. I don’t want everything to be pretty or everything to be a joke. They’re all me :)"
"Up To Me" is about the fatigue of always having to make the decisions because the person in their life is just going along for the ride. Every artist reaches a time when they realise they have to push forward on their own. We asked ZUZY when that exact moment was in her career.
"I don’t think there was one exact moment. I’m a professional people pleaser with a hyper-independent streak, which is quite a combination. I want everyone to be happy, but I also want to do everything myself to avoid disappointment. Add perfectionism and there’s plenty to work on. I also genuinely like driving - I get motion sickness as a passenger. Apparently, that translates into my dating habits too... Being in bands taught me how difficult it can be when everyone has different goals. I was either doing too much or not feeling involved enough because the music wasn’t really my cup of tea. Everyone brings their own personality and story, and I appreciate that, but navigating those differences while making something you care about can be hard. I wanted room to find out what my own music sounded like. I think something started shifting in Melbourne. I became more confident with my English and my accent. I’d already lived in the UK, but speaking English and feeling comfortable expressing yourself are different things. I had this judgment cloud over me: “What will people think? Is that appropriate? Will they like hearing it?” Now it’s more: “Well, this is me. There’s only one, so I might as well embrace her.” I spent time building my children’s entertainment business, and the solo music took a while. I wanted to learn enough to get things moving myself and choose when to involve other people. I still want collaboration; I just don’t want my ability to create to depend on somebody else being available. Taking control has meant becoming less perfectionistic, trusting myself and also letting people in. Which is slightly inconvenient when your original plan was to do everything yourself to avoid disappointment. I’m still learning, but I’m excited about where I’m going. There’s pain and struggle in it too, but I wouldn’t have it any other way."
Language shapes the way we write and think, especially when it comes to humour and sarcasm. With a Polish-language track titled "Sama w domu" coming up next, We wanted to know how her brain shifts gears when she writes or sings in Polish.
"I’m perfectly capable of not making sense and miscommunicating my wants and needs in either language. That skill is bilingual. I use English more these days, which helps me express myself and my feelings. But Poland is an incredibly important part of me. I don’t have any family here, so writing songs in Polish is a way of sharing that part of myself. There’s a side of me that feels more comfortable in Poland. My humour is definitely edgier in Polish - I feel I can get away with more around Polish people. In English, I’m more aware of cultural differences and how something might land. Kinda... :) Switching languages brings out another Zuzy. There are so many Zuzys. I love to convert all parts of me into art."
If you dig through any artist's favourite music collection or playlist, you’ll usually find at least one album that seems totally out of place. We asked ZUZY to name the single weirdest record in her collection that shaped her own music.
"I’d go with Skyhooks’ Hits’n’Riffs. I don’t know how shocked anyone will be, but I love their rebellious energy. They sing about real, human things with humour and great musicianship. And I love that passionate, almost angry vocal delivery. They sound like they have something to say. Obviously, I appreciate an opinion. “You Just Like Me ’Cause I’m Good in Bed” is a favourite. The guitar solo, the drums going wild - and what a funny thing to write a song about. I can relate to that one rather more than I’d like to explain in this interview... I love “Horror Movie” for turning the television news into a horror movie, and “The Party to End All Parties” for how it comes back to the first verse. Something so simple can work so well. The songs have different moods and personalities, but they still feel part of the same thing. That’s what I take from their songwriting: finding quality in simplicity, writing about real life and leaving room for humour, frustration and a bit of rebellion. There’s plenty of material in being human."
As we roll towards the end of 2026, ZUZY isn't slowing down. Between finishing up her three-song rollout, getting ready for more gigs, and taking on new collaborative projects, her calendar is filling up fast.
"I’m so excited to share “Sama w domu,” the final song from my three-song project supported by City of Gold Coast Arts Development Fund. It’s in Polish, and releasing it feels like embracing and sharing another part of myself. These are my first musical babies. Having them out in the world makes me feel ready to approach venues, perform and work towards touring. I can’t wait to share that energy. I’m also getting involved in “The Curlew’s Call” with Ya Mum Productions, a community-led family theatre production exploring home, belonging and resilience through the story of a curlew family. It’s being developed towards performances on the Gold Coast in February 2027. I’ll be contributing musically and experimenting with loops, sound and effects to help bring that world to life. That’s exciting because it brings together music, storytelling, community and the playful side of what I do. I am prioritising more collaboration, and here’s an opportunity to actually practise it. My hyper-independence is quite a wall; this feels like putting a door in it. I’ll keep finding moments of solitude, writing and making room for new ideas. But the big thing is performing and creating with other people. I’m ready."
ZUZY is a breath of fresh air in today's music scene. She isn't interested in pleasing everyone or following others, she's too busy, having fun, and making music that actually says something real.
Listen to "Up To Me" on Local Sounds here
https://localsounds.com.au/song/zuzy/up-to-me
Learn mor about ZUZY here
https://localsounds.com.au/artist/zuzy
SoundVerge Editorial
Independent music journalism
