Vé/Zé is a songrwiter, lyricist, and producer from Hungary. His influences are coming from different genres from jazz and soul/pop to hard rock – all this melted into crafted pop-rock tracks with meaningful lyrics either in Hungarian or English.
Bass player since the age of 14, but also self-performs other instrumental tracks. Songs are generally collaborations with lead singers.
With “New Car” out now, we took some time to hear from Vé/Zé. Read below to learn more about Vé/Zé, the story behind “New Car,” and what’s to come.
Hi Vé/Zé! Let’s start with: how did you get your artist name?
Vé/Zé is actually my monogram—my real name is Varga Zoltán—written phonetically the way it’s pronounced in Hungarian. That’s what my friends used to call me back in high school. Fun fact: in Hungarian, family names come first, so you can also just call me Zoltán.
What city are you from, and where are you based now?
I’m from the south of Hungary, from a lovely small town called Szentes. After graduating, I moved to the capital, Budapest, and I still live nearby.
At what point in your life did you decide to pursue a career in music? How did you get started?
I was 14 when I bought my first bass guitar and started practicing and teaching myself, mostly by listening to my favorite records. A few years later, I was already playing in high school bands, and during my college years we were gigging seriously all around the country.
Later, I chose music to be my passion rather than my full-time job, but it remained a very important part of my life. I started building my home studio and writing songs—lots of them—but they stayed unreleased for many years. The real breakthrough came only a few years ago, when I decided to stop just demoing and actually finish and release my songs.
How would you describe your sound to readers who may not be familiar with you?
I’m cautious with genres, because I don’t feel the need to be overly classified. While I’ve played and loved many styles—from jazz to hard rock—my own music is closer to rock or pop rock, with elements of other styles woven in. My songs are built around a classic rock band setup: guitars, bass, drums, and keyboards.
I’m very much a ’90s guy. I love that era because it was melodic and experimental at the same time—electronics and studio techniques were developing fast, but they hadn’t yet taken over instrumental performance. That balance is something I aim for in my own songs as well.
Do you have any hobbies outside of music? What do you do to stay creative?
I try to stay physically active and in good shape, and I run regularly. Usually, I run in the forest without earbuds, in silence—those are perfect moments to work on lyrics.
I also travel a lot, from Asia to South America. Experiencing different cultures and hearing different kinds of music is incredibly refreshing and inspiring. I’m especially obsessed with ethnic instruments like the oud or darbuka, so I’m sure you’ll hear some of those influences in my upcoming releases.
Who are some of your main musical influences?
I strongly believe in hard work and consistency, so I admire artists who are not only creative and humble, but who have managed to stay relevant for decades while constantly reinventing themselves. Artists like Peter Gabriel, Tears for Fears, Sting, Steely Dan, and of course David Bowie. I’m also a big Toto fan.
What would be your dream music collaboration?
Producing a song together with Roland Orzabal from Tears for Fears would be a dream come true. Whatever he does, it is just brilliant.
What’s one of the proudest moments of your music career so far?
On April 11, 2025, I released my first single under my own musical brand, Vé/Zé. This milestone marked the beginning of a new era for me.
What would you say are the greatest lessons you’ve learned so far?
The power of the song itself—the importance of what’s essential over surface-level details and packaging. When you’re working on sounds and polishing a mix, it’s easy to lose focus on the song. But a truly good song is one you can perform with a single guitar and it still works. That’s something I constantly remind myself of.
Now onto “New Car.” What inspired this song? What is it about?
The entire song is a metaphor. On the surface, it’s simple: you choose a car and start your journey. At first, everything feels fine, but over time you may realize it no longer excites you, or you don’t feel safe anymore, and you start yearning for a different model.
At that point, the journey and the car become a symbol for your life and your situation—one where you feel stuck or frustrated. Wanting a new car represents the desire for change and the hope of finding happiness again. And then comes the big question: are you brave enough to change, or do you stay where you are?
What was the inspiration behind the cover artwork for “New Car?”
It shows a car interior with a typical air freshener hanging inside. The air freshener is heart-shaped and is the only element in color. Following the song’s metaphor, the message is simple: on your journey, always listen to your heart.
How did the collaboration with Rádi Nóra come about?
Nóri and I have known each other for many years—we played together in the same cover band. I’ve always admired her strong yet emotional voice. When I decided to finish and release my songs with featured artists, she was the first person I called to ask if she’d like to be part of the project.
We sat down and listened to the demos together, and I remember that “New Car” was the song that she immediately fell in love with.
What was the creative process like when making “New Car?”
I clearly remember the moment in the last days of 2016. I was about to leave the house but still had a few minutes, so I sat down at the electric piano. I started improvising, and suddenly the main theme and verse appeared.
Luckily, my gear is always connected to a Zoom multichannel recorder, so I quickly recorded the idea. I even had time to grab my bass and guitar and add a few more lines. In less than 10 minutes, the core of the song was born.
How long did it take to complete “New Car?”
Well, definitely much longer than 10 minutes. 😊 The song structure and arrangement were finalized a few months later, and I wrote the lyrics in February 2017. Still, the track stayed on my hard drive as a demo for years.
As I mentioned earlier, during our session with Nóra, we chose this song to produce, but we had to wait until 2022 for the first recording session with her. The final vocal takes were recorded in the summer of 2025.
What do you hope fans take away from “New Car” and your music in general?
I hope listeners find my music authentic, passionate, and meaningful—and that they’re able to connect with it. I write songs because they mean a lot to me, and I hope they reach the people my music resonates with.
What’s next for you? Are you working on any upcoming projects or shows we should watch out for?
Yes—my next single is just around the corner. It will be released on all major platforms on February 14 and is titled “Rád Gondolok” (“I’m Thinking About You”). It’s a collaboration with Susan Lewis (a.k.a. Sulya Zsuzsanna), another fantastic singer who also appears on some of my earlier singles.
Where can we follow you on social media?
https://soundcloud.com/zoltan-varga-622127702
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574121975840
https://www.instagram.com/zoltanvargaveze
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOf4ixKcy2zjWdlYuGhujgQ
https://www.youtube.com/@V%C3%A9Z%C3%A9_V%C3%A9Z%C3%A9
https://music.apple.com/hu/artist/v%C3%A9-z%C3%A9/1811829664
https://open.spotify.com/artist/3CbYhLPK6UMfFjIN7Nripi
Thank you for the great interview; wish you much continued success!
