Veronica Bianqui Is Breaking All Her Own Rules
For Veronica Bianqui, reinvention isn’t about starting over. It’s about letting go of the rules that once defined her. The Los Angeles-born, London-based singer, songwriter, and producer is embracing a new chapter with her sophomore album, “Use Once Then Destroy“, out November 13 via NX Records. Blending classic pop melodies with gritty guitars, punk energy, and a healthy dose of dark humor, the project finds Bianqui experimenting with sound, storytelling, and the freedom that comes with trusting her creative instincts.
Written over four years following her move from Los Angeles to London, “Use Once Then Destroy” emerged during a period of personal transformation. While completing two master’s degrees at Goldsmiths University, Bianqui expanded her approach to music production, experimenting with everything from childhood cassette recordings to digital production techniques. The result is an eight-track—collection of larger-than-life characters, sharp social commentary, and unapologetic self-expression. “I learned to trust myself and that there is no right or wrong way to do things,” she explains.
The album arrives alongside its latest single, “Sicko,” a danceable, tongue-in-cheek track that challenges the way society decides who gets labeled dangerous or villainous. Rather than delivering a traditional protest song, Bianqui leans into satire, transforming frustration into something listeners can move to. “It’s my dance-y clap-back number,” she says.
In an exclusive conversation with Galore, Bianqui opens up about the inspiration behind “Sicko,” the meaning of “Use Once Then Destroy“, and how embracing a DIY approach has transformed her relationship with music.
On turning social commentary into something danceable
GALORE: “Sicko” explores how society labels certain people as villains or dangerous figures. What was the process of writing the track like, and why did you choose to approach such a serious subject with humor?
Veronica Bianqui: This track was fun to make! If anything, perhaps a bit cathartic. I suppose making it fun and dance-y helped me process what I considered to be the absurdity of the media calling healthcare activists and Luigi supporters “sickos” when the U.S.’s leadership is the sickest of all.
In a way, making it fun and tongue-in-cheek enabled me to twist the narrative put forward by media outlets. It’s my dance-y clap-back number.
On the meaning behind Use Once Then Destroy
GALORE: Where does the album title come from, and how did making this project differ from recording your 2020 debut?
Veronica Bianqui: The title directly refers to my song about a femme fatale who takes no prisoners. I think it reflects a lot of the album’s themes: our disposable culture, overconsumption, and our short attention spans.
My 2020 album was demoed well before we went into the studio, and I stuck to my main instruments, guitar and vocals. On this new album, I allowed myself to expand to other instruments, ones I’m maybe not as comfortable playing. I learned to trust myself and that there is no right or wrong way to do things.
For example, if I recorded a part at home as part of the writing process, I often kept it for the final mix if it felt right. I threw out the idea of demo versus final recording and blended the two.
That first album was tracked live to tape. The creative process of making Use Once Then Destroy was more like a collage: some parts I sampled from my own cassette archives, some I recorded at home, some I made almost entirely in the box, and others were recorded in the studio.
As for what’s changed for me as an artist, I’ve gained a deeper confidence in myself as a producer. I feel empowered the more I learn my tools and increase my self-sufficiency.
On finding creative freedom through reinvention
GALORE: You created this album during a transformative period, from relocating to London to completing two master’s degrees. How did those experiences reshape your creative process?
Veronica Bianqui: My whole process for creating feels radically different, and yet it really is just an extension of what I’ve always done. As a child in my bedroom, I was recording songs to cassette tapes, some of which are sampled on this album!
I just allowed myself to not play by the same rules I’d made for myself before. By moving to a different country and focusing 100% on my art, I was able, in some ways, to inhabit a different creative universe.
Maybe that’s why so many of my songs are about characters: it has been a way for me to detach from my life in the States and become someone else for a minute.
I’ve also expanded my production, so that my DAW is more a part of the songwriting and production process than ever before. It has been super empowering and has opened doors to producing and engineering other artists as well.
Those experiences changed the way I make music because I had access to great studios, which I could use to record both by myself and with the help of my fellow students.
I expanded my creative practice and made films, scored moving images, and made sound art, so all my creative synapses were firing and feeding into each other.
What I learned about myself is that even though I never considered myself a bass player before, I can write a damn good bass line!
Veronica Bianqui’s sophomore album, Use Once Then Destroy, is available now via NX Records. Watch the music video for “Sicko”.
Photo Credit: Derek Bremner
