Elize Ryd: "If music is the prize, we are all winners"

Hej hej! Are you ready for a new Melfest interview! I AM! Here are the answers of ELIZE RYD:
Name: Elise Ryd
Birthday: October 15
Height: 168
Favorite color: Red
Favourite food: Thai-food
Eye color: Blue
Where are you right now? Karlskoga, Sweden
3 things that makes you happy: Peace, Sunshine and music
What’s your strangest talent? I can shake my eyes
Do you have any nicknames? I used to be called both Ille and Ellan as a kid
Home alone and you are bored. What do you do? I write music and drink liters of coffee dressed in my bath robe. 
What is the strangest thing you have in your room? A ping-pong table
What are you really good at? Dance cazy
What are you really bad at? Language
Childhood idol: My two biggest idols were Madonna and Abba.
Childhood memory: I remember when the song Eloise won in Sweden, I became so happy, because it sounded almost like they were singing my name.
Tell me something no one knows about you: I almost had to amputate my foot two years ago, I got an bacterial infection in South America.
What would you do if you were invisible? Something good, like save the world.
Favorite movie: Dirty Dancing
Favorite TV series: Orange is the new black
Tell me a super power you wish you had: I wish I could fly, or just teleport myself to different places.
What is your guilty pleasure? Bakeries
Name a song that never fails to make you happy: Any Euro-Techno song, Dr Feel Good or like The Ride. :D
If you were a product, how would you sell yourself? Haha, effective and smooth maybe.
Can you teach me some interesting words in swedish? Älskling, it means darling :)

Hej hej Elize! Welcome to Melodifestivalen! Less than a month for the semifinal, how do you feel right now?
Thanks, I know, it’s insane! It's all I can think about right now. I just been sick, but I’m starting to feel better finally. I will visit Stockholm on Monday and shopping for stage clothes. :)

How would you describe yourself as an artist?
I would say that I'm versatile. I like to sing almost any kind of music. I have education in musical, and that have of course colored me.

Photo: Patric Ullaeus

Can you tell me a bit about your career?
Yes, I started to dance and sing when I was very little. I wrote my first song and recorded when I was 12. I still have it on a cassette tape in my drawer at home. I've done musicals and worked as a Cabaret Artist in Gothenburg. The last 5 years I been focusing mostly on the songwriting and touring. I have released three albums and toured the world multiple times together with my band Amaranthe, and Kamelot. Besides that I've been doing guest vocals on many albums in the metal/rock business.

Will we ever see Amaranthe participating in Melodifestivalen?
Might happen, If I can convince them some day. ;) It would be fun!

You are one of the participants of MF 2015, how did it all begin?
It all began with that I met different producers and songwriters to just write, totally unconditionally. And this song happened, and we decided to send it in to Björkman and his team, and then it got chosen. :D

What can you tell about Rickard Söderberg?
I met Rickard in "Så ska det låta” (TV-program) for the first time, we competed against each other. I really liked him from the first second. He is funny, warm, sweet. He is a great role-model and I adore him for taking action. I wish I could be a little bit more like him.

"One by one" is the title of your song and its written by You, Jimmy Jansson, Karl-Ola Kjellholm and Sharon Vaughn. How was it working with them?
It's been fantastic, but I must confess that I haven't met Sharon in person yet, we've only spoken on e-mail. Jimmy is a peace of chocolate, and Karl is a candy too I think. ;)

Whats the story behind the song?
It’s actually many stories in one. It's built on personal experiences. It’s a strengthening song, It goes out to everyone, who might have experianced something very hard in life and felt alone in it. The song is focusing on lifting them back up. So it's in all the sadness a positive song.

Describe the song with 4 words?
Honest, Emotional, Hopeful, Strong

What can we expect to see on stage for the performance?
You can expect darkness fading into light. :)

Photo: Jaakko Manninen Photography 

Do you already now what you are going to wear for the semifinal? any hint?
Bah, no, I haven’t found ”that” dress, yet. I am thinking about wearing a long dress.

What do you think about the participants from semifinal 1?
I think it's perfect. It seems to be a great mixture. It's hard concurrence, but it's fun knowing I will share the stage with so many amazing artists. I'm looking forward to a fantastic evening in Gothenburg.

What do you like about Eurovision?
It’s the happiest moments of the year. It combines people, like big sports events, but in music.

What do you dislike about Eurovision?
That not every country makes it there.

Tell me the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word:
Theatre: Masque
Nightmare: Darkness
Wind: Earth
Mystery: Red
Pizza: Calzone
Metal: Rock
Austria: Vienna
Fav ESC song: Every way that I can and Wild Dances
Singing: Dancing

What are your plans for 2015?
It’s to have fun, spread love and joy and hopefully record a solo-album.

Is there anything you want to say to close the interview?
Thank you very much for the questions, and remember, if music is the prize, we are all winners. But don't forget to vote! See you soon! :)

Thanks to Elize for this lovely interview! I really liked it! I wish her all the best in Mello!

Here is her official website: http://elizeryd.com/
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ElizeRydOfficial
Instagram: http://instagram.com/elizeryd/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Elizeryd
Youtube; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzrLrWM1kM6YpVxyxcJnFNA