Australian electronic music star, DJ and producer Dom Dolla is the June-August cover star of Rolling Stone AU/NZ magazine, which hits shelves on June 2.
Dom Dolla (real name Dominic Matheson) is the first electronic artist to appear solo on the cover of the magazine since its return to Australia and expansion into New Zealand.
The hitmaker has been selling out gigs around the world – including at New York’s Madison Square Garden and a record-breaking run in Australia – and was recently awarded the Global Award at the 2025 Rolling Stone Australia Awards.
The cover story charts his decades-long ‘overnight success’ story, and sees Vinyl Media’s Editorial Director Lars Brandle speak to the man himself and those closest to him professionally, including iconic pop music powerhouse Nelly Furtado, legendary British DJ Pete Tong, and ARIA Award-winning DJ and producer Simon Lewicki (Groove Terminator).
Dom Dolla
Furtado said: “I wanted to work with [Dom Dolla] within 20 seconds of first hearing his music. He has the greatest taste in the world; he can hear subtlety in music and that is a gift not everyone has. It’s like the gift of calculated restraint, combined with pure soul. And I fucking love his approach to bass. So signature.”
She adds: “He has a pure love for the actual art form and craft of DJing and beyond that just the community of dance music; he’s doing it for 100 per cent the right reasons. He’s a happy guy with incredibly positive energy that just radiates and everyone wants to experience that elevation, purity, and fun live — myself included. Nights spent watching Dom’s sets have become some of my favourite nights ever.”
Dom Dolla, meanwhile, tells Rolling Stone AU/NZ he’s a perfectionist “at an insane level”: “I wish there were 36 hours in a day and there were 10 days a week. I’d get to do what I wanted to do… I often say to my manager, ‘I wish I could duplicate myself, I wish I could be one person that’s touring and one person writing music’.”
He also explores why Australia has become such a mammoth consumer and exporter of dance music: “Australia being at the forefront of dance music and dance culture, globally, I think is a reflection of how small our population is. Because we have such a small population, from a taste perspective, trends move really, really fast. So, a lot of Aussie dance music producers and songwriters have their finger on the pulse.”
And on a lighter note, he reveals why he’s always spotted sporting a cap on his head: “I started wearing a hat on stage because every time I’d take my headphones off, I’d look like an electrocuted muffin.”
Elsewhere in the magazine, Rolling Stone AU/NZ stays on theme with a comprehensive exploration of the 50 Greatest Australian Electronic Acts of All Time.
Print editor James Jennings concedes all rankings and lists can be controversial, but notes: “Australia has been a hotbed of trailblazing electronic music talent for decades. Dive in to see who made the cut, and feel free to argue amongst yourselves about the rankings (although I’d be surprised if anyone gets upset about who we have placed in the top spot).”
Broadening out, the magazine also brings back its Future 25 list, which reveals the Australian and New Zealand acts to get most excited about this year, from a globe-trotting pop-rock band, to a rising country star, and Australia’s next big electronic music export. The acts on last year’s list – including Dom Dolla himself, Royel Otis and Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers – have left big shoes to fill for this year’s cohort.
The June-August issue also takes a nuanced and necessary look at Australia’s reluctant embrace of pill testing, the consequences of inaction, and the ideological moralising which shows the debate is far from over.
Calum Hood
Plus, Sosefina Fuamoli spends some time with controversial Western Sydney drill rap group ONEFOUR as they prepare the release of their hotly anticipated debut album, and Calum Hood lets readers inside the making of his debut solo album and provides an update on what’s happening with 5 Seconds of Summer.
Neil Griffiths, Editor-In-Chief Rolling Stone AU/NZ, said: “Our latest issue is so big you’ll probably want to hit the dance floor when you’re done reading. We’re counting down the 50 Greatest Australian Electronic Acts of All Time while our cover story tracks the sensational rise of Melbourne’s own Dom Dolla from burgeoning local artist to international superstar.
“But it’s not just all electronic music, 5 Seconds of Summer’s Calum Hood opens up about his new solo career; we spotlight the best up-and-coming Australian and Aotearoa artists in our Future 25 list; and Hollywood favourite Michael Cera talks about finally working with Wes Anderson in his next blockbuster film. There’s something for every kind of music lover.”
Rolling Stone AU/NZ’s average issue readership in Australia reached 232,000 for the 12 months to December 2024, according to the latest Roy Morgan Australian Magazine Readership Report. This places the local print edition of Rolling Stone ahead of staple titles like Harper’s Bazaar, Who, Belle, Australian Traveller, New Scientist and Money Magazine.
Vinyl Media’s network of premium brands now surpasses 160 million monthly page views and reaches 10 million unique Australian users per month across its top 50 sites, plus more through the Playwire network, cementing its position as Australia’s largest creator of premium youth content and events.
Rolling Stone AU/NZ magazine hits shelves on Monday June 2, 2025