Czech Republic 2019: Lake Malawi

Here is the song that will represent Czech Republic in Tel Aviv, "Friend of a friend" by Lake Malawi:

Just heard the song for the first time and it was very listenable but I wonder if it's voteable? I don't think I would vote for it unless the performance is amazing and this is not an easy song to stage so I hope they can surprise me in may.

France 2019: Bilal Hassani

The winner of Destination Eurovision 2019 is...Bilal Hassani with the song "Roi":

I gotta say that I like Bilal, he has a very special light and energy around him but I don't like his song, don't get me wrong I like the idea behind it but I wish it was less cheesy and more powerful.

Shout out to my favorite:

Silvàn Areg

Edgars Kreilis: “Cherry Absinthe” was born by three creative minds collaborating and building fresh vibes

Photo: Lauris Vīksne

Time to post a new Supernova 2019 interview, here are Edgars' answers:
Name: Edgars Kreilis
Birthday: 29.10.1991
Height: 180cm
Favorite color: Maroon
Favorite food: Avocado salads
Childhood idol: Michael Jordan. When I was younger I loved basketball and back in those days my favorite movie was "Space Jam". Those who know, his jersey number was #23 and that is one of the reasons why my Ice-Hockey jersey has #23 on it.
Childhood memory: '''Tags'
Celebrity crush: Justin Timberlake
Favorite movie: Any movie with Kevin Hart in it.
Favorite TV series: ''Lucifer''
What's your strangest talent? I can make loud melodic clicks with my tongue.
What is the strangest thing you have in your room? Actually nothing strange.
What are you really good at? Being always on time.
What are you really bad at? I'm bad at relaxing. Always I'm up with something, even when I'm on Vacation.
What were you afraid of when you were a child? Darkness.
Tell me something no one knows about you: My mother and grandmother are Polish. My father is Latvian and my first grandfather is Ukrainian but my second grandfather is Russian.
What would you do if you were invisible? Act like a ghost.
Who would you cast to play you in a movie about your life? Kevin Hart.
What would the title of that movie be? 'Right Lefty', because my surname Keilis means - Left-handed, but I'm writting with a right hand.
If you were a girl for a day, what would you do? I would go to gym and chill in the girls shower room all day. Well, not because of nudity, but because of rumors that they have better water obviously.
Can you recommend us a song (old or new) from a Latvian artist?Instrumenti - Visa par daudz
Can you teach me some interesting words in Latvian? If you want to learn some individual words, here you go: Uzdrīksties sapņot – Dare To Dream!

Photo: Lauris Vīksne

How would you describe yourself as an artist?
As I'm a full-time employee it's only fair to be little bit self-rigorous. Meanwhile I'm a seeker and punctilious person. I guess I have found my vibe as a songwriter, but I'm still looking for the right sound, cause I would love some changes and improvements as well.

You are one of the participants of Supernova 2019. How did it all begin?
It all began in the songwriting camp “RIGaLIVE”. There were many different teams and I was selected together with a producer Arnis Račinskis and musician Jūlijs Melngailis. “Cherry Absinthe” was born by three creative minds collaborating and building fresh vibes. After the first positive feedback's, in the creative process we decided that contest “Supernova 2019” will be a perfect place to introduce this song to a wider audience. 

"Cherry Absinthe" is the title of your song, what's the story behind it?
"Cherry Absinthe" is a song about New Years Eve, where two people fell in love at a great party. In other words, it's about the moment when you forget the absence of the last year and embark on the new one with new goals, wishes and emotions, enjoying the time that we are given.

Describe the song with 4 words:
Confidence, freedom, power and love.

What can we expect to see on stage for the performance?
We have worked and continue to work to prepare an interesting and enjoyable stage performance. I hope this will be the case. To learn more, I invite you to watch Supernova on January 26th and support “Cherry Absinthe”. 

Photo: Ivo Buģis

Have you heard any of the other songs in the competition? Any favorite?
I have heard all of them and my favorite is Double Faced Eals - Fire.

What do you like about Eurovision?
It's not just a simple song contest. It's a great project which unites countries through music.

What do you dislike about Eurovision?
I guess it sometimes involves politics and that's what I don't like about it.

Tell me the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word:
Bed: DORMEO
Fruits: Cherry
Nightmare: Paranormal activity
Puppy: Golden Retriever
Clones: Olsen twins
Stage: Wambley stadium

What are your plans for 2019?
One of my goals is to build an audience by releasing songs in Latvian language. I must say, I still haven't created a viral hit song, but I'm looking forward to do so. If everything will continue successfully I'll release my first EP as well. Meanwhile - I have some upcoming concerts and festivals planned and who knows, maybe I'll seek for some opportunities abroad.

Thanks to Edgars for the interview! All the best in Supernova!

Facebook: EdgarsMusic
Instagram: edgarskreilis
Twitter: Edgars_Kreilis

Double Faced Eels: We want our song to be something positive, a mantra to people who are striving towards a goal, to be better

Photo: Roberts Āboltiņš

Let's start the day with a fiery interview from one of the Supernova 2019 semifinalists! Here are Reinis's (Lead singer of Double Faced Eels) answers:
Name: Reinis Straume
Birthday: October 4, 1988
Height: 192 cm
Favorite color: Black
Favorite food: I love me a bowl of ramen!
What do you do in the band? I’m the lead singer for our band’s more recent stuff and I also play guitar and samples. In terms of songwriting, I am in charge of lyrics and I co-write the music. Production is single-handedly taken care of by bandmate Mārtiņš “Marka” Gailītis.
What is the strangest thing you have in your room? I own a cast iron realistic chicken statue. I have no idea where it came from; I’ve had it forever.
What are you really bad at? Cars. I’m useless when it comes to something more than changing a tire or checking fluid levels.
Childhood idol: Billie Joe Armstrong from Green Day
Childhood memory: I remember going on a trip with my parents to some rural area when I was really small, then being left alone in the car (because I was asleep) and waking up to the whole car being full of wasps. I’m talking twenty-thirty wasps in a small car (this may be an exaggeration from my then-young mind, but it’s how I remember it). There was a gap in the window and for some reason this swarm of wasps had flown into the car. I was afraid to move an inch so I laid there until my parents came back to the car and opened the door (which was locked since I was left alone) and let all of the wasps out.
Celebrity crush: I used to be really into Jennifer Aniston (I’m a huge “Friends” nerd).
What were you afraid of when you were a child? Did you read the wasp story? ☺
Tell me something no one knows about you: I freakin’ HATE dill. It’s a big deal if you live in Latvia.
What would you do if you were invisible? Fight crime, naturally.
Favorite movie: Favorite childhood movie is “Back to the Future”. Is used to own the trilogy on VHS and I would watch them back to back.
Favorite TV series: Friends. I’ve competed in a couple of “Friends” trivia competitions with my friends, and even won one of them.
Who would you cast to play you in a movie about your life? I think Nicholas Cage has taken on stranger roles…
What would the title of that movie be? Reinis Straume and the Song that went to ESC 2019 (I’m a huge Harry Potter fan).
If you were a girl for a day, what would you do? I have absolutely no idea, but it would be an enlightening experience, I’m sure!
What is your guilty pleasure? Losing track of time on YouTube. I’ve been following some channels FOR YEARS already!
Can you recommend us a song (old or new) from a Latvian artist? Old, 2002! The Hobos – Walk All Night
Can you teach us some interesting words in Latvian? Idritvaikociņ (translates to something along the lines of “goshdarnit” – a very mild swear). A variation – idritvaimicīt.

Hello guys! Welcome to the Eurovision universe! How are you doing? Thanks
Fantastic! Very happy to be in the running. Right now, we’re in the middle of preparing for the national semi-final.

How would you describe the band?
We’re a modern rock/indie/pop outfit with roots in punkrock and poppunk.

How did you all meet?
We’ve been a band since 2009 and met through mutual friends.

Tell us about the name of the band:
Mark used to date this girl, the father of which owned a venue where Double Faced Eels were playing. For some reason the father did not like Mark and called him a two-faced eel (in Latvian). Mark liked this and it ended up being the band’s name (albeit slightly mistranslated).

You are one of the participants Supernova 2019. How did it all begin?
We had written “Liesma” for our 2018 EP and the song also had an English version (“Fire”). We figured that it would make a good contender for ESC, since it’s not typical and we could bring a more alternative vibe to the performace.

“Fire” is the title of your song, what’s the story behind it?
It’s about having a driving force inside you that doesn’t let you give up. No matter what your obstacles are, you will get over them if you keep that light inside you lit. The world is so fucking negative right now; we want our song to be something positive, a mantra to people who are striving towards a goal, to be better. “I’ve got a fire burning deep inside. It illuminates my way even when there’s no light. Whatever comes my, I’ll be alright.”

Describe the song with 4 words:
Energy, power, light, determination

What can we expect to see on stage for the performance?
Our song is fire-related, so we’re thinking of incorporating that side of it somehow. I’ll leave the specifics a secret, though ☺

Have you heard any of the other songs in the competition? Any favorite?
We’ve only heard other contenders for the national title. We love a few of them (and Mark has produced two others, Reinis wrote lyrics for one other)!

What do you like about Eurovision?
It’s such a rich experience – impossible to be bored at this show, because each performance brings something else to the table.

What do you dislike about Eurovision?
That it’s over so fast!

Tell me the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word:
Cold shower: good morning!
Fangirling: must-have
Socks: folding
Pancakes: and maple syrup
Nightmare: forgetting the words right before you have to sing
Live music: a good time

What are your plans for 2019?
We’ll see where our Supernova (and possibly ESC) adventure takes us. We plan on releasing our English EP and going on tour.

Is there anything you want to say to close the interview?
Thank you so much for reading and we’ll see you in Tel Aviv!

Thanks to Reinis for the interview! Good luck in Supernova!

Facebook: doublefacedeels
Instagram: doublefacedeels