The Buzz on Strawberry Fuzz
Strawberry Fuzz is reinvigorating the Venice music scene with their surf punk sound. This breakout band went from playing backyard house parties around Venice to playing venues like The Venice West, and the Troubadour in a matter of months.
It all started with a couple of friends hanging out and making music. Vocalist Colby Rogers didn’t know what was going to happen when he began skating over to the home of music producer Alex Arias on Friday nights. They just began writing songs. As the songs kept pouring out, they realized maybe they had something.
Strawberry Fuzz germinated when Rodgers, the vocalist, and Arias, who plays keys and guitar, brought in Dashel Dupuy on bass, Kris Miller on guitar, and Andy Warren on drums. Those early songwriting sessions turned into a popular series of raw demos called the Fuzz Tapes, Volume 1.
With about 20 shows behind them, Strawberry Fuzz has gained a solid footing in Venice. The Venice band recently dropped an 11-track album called Strongs Dr. on January 18. They have even branched out of Venice, with a set at Dartmouth University and a sold out album release party at the Troubadour in West Hollywood in January.
“We’re happy to be the band from our side of town,” says Arias.
“We’re trying to pay homage to Venice, too,” says Miller. “We’re not all from Venice, we’re not trying to claim that we are, but we’re trying to pay respects to it. We enjoy playing there, and the crowd’s sick there.”
When asked how they cultivated such a strong fan base, Arias jokingly answers: “I blame that on Kris a lot…We basically indoctrinated his crew. And we became this little group of degenerates on this side of town that support each other…”
“I’ve seen the band play at a private party. It was the time first in my life I actually wanted to be part of a mosh pit! Very tight, cohesive. And lots of fun,” says Ilsa Glanzberg, a longtime local resident.
There’s a crew of like 40 people that are all friends that are out at the bars in Venice every week that started listening to it and showing their friends and it snowballed, explains Rodgers.
One of their favorite places to perform is at The Venice West on Lincoln Blvd.
"When Strawberry Fuzz plays The Venice West, the vibe of the room changes into the most electric atmosphere. You can feel the hype building in the venue as they're about to go on stage all the way through the final note of their set. The band is on fire and the fans can feel it," Zac Garfinkel, Talent Buyer at The Venice West.
“These guys rip!” adds Cal Ingram, Venice resident who regularly attends their shows.
“In a year, we went from a backyard house party to the Troubadour,” shares Warren. “We just want to keep ascending and see where it goes…”
“We want to play every single place,” confirms Arias.
The band was motivated to record when fans told them their performances didn’t match the demos. The band responded by creating Wasting My Time, a three song LP sampler in November, 2022, and then, Strongs Dr. early in 2023. The album begins with the fan favorite No Lighter and it finishes with the title track, Strongs Dr. One of the highlights is the track Go Home Kook. The band revealed Cowboy as their biggest song so far.
The good nature of the band is infectious and it shows in everything they do. "The band doesn't fight," declares Arias. Great music, good vibes and a fast-growing fanbase make Strawberry Fuzz the band to watch.