Formula Indie Sessions _ Interview with Tiano Dolce
What is your earliest memory connected to music?
Music has been an important part of my life for as long as I can remember. I grew up in a musical family, which gave me early exposure to music. My grandfather was an opera singer and actively involved in classical music, and through him, I was introduced to Mozart, Bach, and other classical composers. My parents had a record collection featuring a variety of genres, including Black music, Deep Purple, Prince, and even reggae. In Switzerland, music is also an important part of the education system, so I had the opportunity to receive both music lessons and instrumental training at school from an early age.
How did your passion for creating music begin?
As a young boy, I loved singing, whistling, and creating my own melodies. In this way, I was composing and writing my first songs from an early age. I was able to cultivate this passion to a professional level through my extensive and diverse involvement in the national music scene, as well as through my studies and formal training as a musician.
What’s the story behind your current music project?
When the major Covid lockdown hit, all of my planned tours with various bands around the world were canceled. That moment pushed me to start a new music project. I began asking myself what I truly wanted to do artistically, and somehow the idea of Italy naturally took over.
I thought about what I genuinely love and find beautiful, and I kept coming back to Italy: the beautiful language, the incredible sense of aesthetics, the architecture, fashion, food, sun, the sea, la dolce vita—and, of course, Italian music.
While searching online, I came across a family looking for someone to take care of their father for a period of time, as he was suffering from severe dementia. The ad mentioned that he had been a jazz musician. I immediately felt that this was the perfect match. I could care for him while learning guitar, improving my singing, learning Italian, and composing songs at the same time.
Everything fit together so naturally that I ended up staying for more than six months and wrote around fifty songs during that time. It was an incredibly inspiring period. That’s also where I created my alter ego, Tiano Dolce, and started performing my songs regularly on the streets of Palermo and Catania. In the beginning, it was honestly pretty rough—but it gradually got better. Today, you could say I’ve become a bit of an Italo-pop sensation in Switzerland.
How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?
My music doesn’t fit neatly into one genre. I mix all of my influences freely and focus on emotion, melody, and joy. If I had to give it a name, I’d call it Italo-pop—but with a very personal twist.
What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music?
For many years, I struggled with constant self-doubt: Is what I’m doing good? Is it good enough? Am I doing it the right way? What will others think? Is it innovative enough?
Over time, I realized that none of these thoughts actually support my creative process. I’ve learned to live with criticism and with the fact that others will always think they know better.
Today, I see my creative process as a search. I consciously invest time in searching for beauty—beautiful melodies, arrangements, sounds, images, and lyrics. And what is beauty, really? Quite simply, it’s whatever I personally find beautiful. No one else can define that for me. That’s the concept I work with today.
What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process?
I don’t focus too much on tools. I’m always experimenting and trying out new things, staying flexible. My most important instrument is definitely my voice—singing, humming, whistling, and discovering melodies. After that, the guitar plays a key role. It’s a great tool that allows me to explore harmonies anytime and anywhere and build melodies on top of them, especially while I’m on the move.
Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?
Recently, Lola Young’s Messy really blew my mind—though I’m not sure if it can still be called indie. I also have to shout out Beat Breu by Swiss artist Wassily. An incredible track.
How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision?
Honestly, I don’t think about it too much. I simply enjoy being inspired, try to pass that inspiration on, and stay productive.
What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work?
To be honest, I don’t think too much about my listeners. That usually involves assumptions—and those assumptions are often wrong. Making creative decisions based on them can compromise the art, and I refuse to do that.
That said, I’m genuinely happy when people listen to my music and enjoy it. What gives me the most joy is when they experience my music or attend my concerts and feel inspired to create something themselves.
What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far?
Becoming a musician is a long and challenging journey. You’re constantly practicing and gain a lot of experience working in bands and collaborating with other people. Through this, you learn not only about yourself but also develop social and organizational skills. This process has shaped me into a confident, relaxed, and courageous person. And music continues to inspire me tremendously!
What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?
I don’t have a particular dream venue—I enjoy playing anywhere, whether it’s a rehearsal room, at home, or on stage. But of course, winning Eurovision or Sanremo someday would be incredible, haha.
If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?
If I could collaborate with any artist, past or present, it would be Prince. He has always been my idol, and his music, creativity, and stage presence continue to inspire me to this day.
Where can our listeners follow and support your music? (Website,Spotify, IG, links)
https://www.instagram.com/tianodolce
Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical journey?
I’m not a dreamer—I’m a focused, action-oriented musician. My goal is to craft the best melodies I can and give the most powerful performances possible.
What do you hope listeners will discover about you along the way?
It would be amazing if I could inspire people—whatever way that might be. Tiano Dolce is meant to be a symbol of real, handmade music: playing instruments, making music together. If I could inspire someone to pick up the guitar, drums, or any other instrument, start a band, or simply be creative—if I could contribute to the future and the next generation of music—that would be incredible.
