Interview Eurovision Eurovision 2014 Finland

Interview with Softengine (Finland at Eurovision 2014)

Hello guys! First of all thank you so much for giving us this interview as Finnish representatives for Eurovision 2014 and congratulations on winning UMK 2014!!!

Can you introduce yourselves?

Name: Topi
Age: 20 Instrument: Vocals, guitar
Three things about myself that I would like people to know:
1. I love ice hockey
2. I love the TV series Breaking Bad
3. I love seeing my friends
My favorite Finnish word: ”Rento” (“laid back”)

Name: Eero Keskinen
Age: 18 Instrument: Bass
Three things about myself that I would like people to know:
1. I like jazz music very much
2. I enjoy studying at school
3. I solder most of our band’s audio cables myself
My favorite Finnish word: Äyskäri (hand bailer)

Name: Tuomo
Age: 18
Instrument: Drums
Three things about myself that I would like people to know:
1. I try to be a nice and open-minded person
2. I love spending time with my friends – usually while watching football
3. Traveling is my passion
My favorite Finnish word: Hääyöaie (Wedding night intention)

Name: Ossi
Age: 17
Instrument: Kitara, syntetisaattori Three things about myself that I would like people to know:
1. Nothing beats hanging out with friends
2. Coldplay is my favorite band
3. My dream is to live abroad
My favorite Finnish word: Aalto (wave)

Name: Henri
Age: 20 Instrument: Piano, keyboards, percussion
Three things about myself that I would like people to know:
1. Lions Club Seinäjoki chose me as The Young Person of the Year 2014
2. I have been dealing with music for all my life. I started classical piano studies at the age of five 3. I’m related to famous Finnish painter Akseli Gallen-Kallela and former president of Finland Pehr Evind Svinhufvud.
My favorite Finnish word: Ruoste (rust)

Softengine_MG_1576_bw

How did Softengine get started?
Softengine: Three years ago me (Topi) and my friend decided to form an indie band. We asked fellow musicians to join us and went to my grandparents’ cottage to create a mutual sound. After diligent songwriting, practising and gigging, the band found its present line-up in the summer of 2013.

Where does the name of the band come from?
Softengine: We all think about things a lot, maybe even too much, and we wanted that to show in the name of the band in some way. We developed a “Softengine” stick figure, who instead of a head has a motor there. The word ”engine” stands for too much thinking and ”soft” for the gentle, aimless and philosophical nature of these considerations. All the lyrics in our songs are written from the standpoint of this figure.

How would you describe your music?

Softengine: It is pop/rock with indie, prog and electric dance music influences.

What is the story behind ”Something Better”?

Softengine: We had a funk jam in our training facility ten days before the deadline of the UMK, the Finnish Contest for New Music. The next day I got the idea to make a real song out of the jam. Topi planned a chorus in his head and presented it to the others in the next practice session. We tried a little simpler version of the chorus and it turned everybody on. We decided to leave the funk out.
Topi, Henri and Ossi then went to Topi’s grandparents’ cottage to work on the lyrics. That and sauna bathing took a couple of days. After that we recorded, mixed and mastered a demo of the song. It was finished in the nick of time, on the deadline day of the contest.
To cut a long story short, the song is about an old man who reminisces about his life from childhood to the present day. He has always been dissatisfied with his life as it seems that he hasn’t achieved anything or done anything out of the ordinary. In his old days his then wife dies and that makes him realize that what they had was ”something better” than anything that he could have accomplished and that he should have always cherished the moment.

What was it like to win the UMK Contest for New Music?

Softengine: It felt fantastic and unreal. We still sometimes forget what we have done.

What do you expect from the Eurovision Song Contest?

Softengine: It will surely be a unique experience. We hope that we will get a lot of new listeners from abroad.

What is your relationship with the European Song Contest?

Softengine: For many of us the Eurovision Song Contest has been a family event. The whole family has watched it together almost every year. Our own Eurovision favourite is Loreen’s ”Euphoria”.

What does it mean to you to represent Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest?

Softengine: It’s a quite heavy responsibility. We have to do our job well, so that Finland can be proud of us.

What can we expect from Softengine’s performance?

Softengine: At least we will try to stand out from the rest of the field. We will play an energetic show and nothing too planned or theatrical. We just go and play a three-minute gig at full blast.

What can we expect from your forthcoming album?

Softengine: It will be versatile as a whole and include interesting elements both in music and lyrics. At least there will be good songs, catchy melodies, ethereal sounds and contemplative lyrics.

What are your plans for 2014?

Softengine: We will work on our debut album, practice a lot, plan the Eurovision performance and play gigs.

What is Softengine like on stage?

Softengine: We don’t use any background tapes, so we have to bring along dozens of various instruments which we use in many different ways. That makes the show interesting. We are also very energetic on stage and want to touch our audience.

What do you want to say to Eurovision fans all over the world?

Softengine: Vote for us if you want a different kind of Eurovision winner. We would also like you to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Spotify. We value every fan!

Softengine will represent Finland at Eurovision 2014 with the song “Something Better”, they will perform in the Second Semi-Final on May 8.

 

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