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JOWST

JOWST (Joakim With Steen) will represent Norway in the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest, alongside vocalist Aleksander Walmann.

Joakim With Steen is the name behind JOWST. At 15 he developed an interest in punk rock and songwriting. After finishing music producer school, where he also worked as a teacher, Joakim started working as a sound engineer and producer. The project Making a Hit was his first artistic concept of JOWST. In a closed Facebook group, he let his friends provide feedback on the whole process of writing and producing Grab the Moment. He creates music with the aim of pushing himself, such as taking part in the Eurovision Song Contest.

Vocals on Grab the Moment are by Aleksander Walmann. He is from a musical family and took interest in music at a young age. In 2012, he took part in the Norwegian edition of The Voice, where he reached the finals. He has supported famous Norwegian artists like Sivert Høyem and Sondre Lerche, and lent his voice to the animated film Rio 2 (Roberto). He is preparing new releases with his own music as well as working for other Norwegian artists. His focus now though is on the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest.

Things you should know about JOWST

What are the three most interesting aspects about your entry?

  • My dynamic mask;
  • The lyrics and the message of the song;
  • The nice blend of many genres in an up-to-date mix.

What are the three most impressive facts about you?

  • Aleksander was a finalist in the Norwegian The Voice in 2012;
  • We won our national selection for the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest;
  • We were considered to be the biggest underdogs in our national selection.

Do you have a (lucky) routine before you go on stage?

We both walk a lot, and get quite active. JOWST drinks a lot of coffee, and Aleksander always sings an Ed Sheeran song.

Why is the Eurovision Song Contest important for you?

It's important for me that people get the possibility to enjoy and use my music for something good. There could not be a better way than showing it to all the viewers of the Eurovision Song Contest.

About the song writer & composer

Jonas McDonnell has been active on the music scene since he was a teenager and has been a member of several bands. At the age of 15, he made trance music and later he began to rap and write his own songs. After some years of rapping, he began writing and singing songs in the pop genre, accompanied by his guitar. In 2016, he started a collaboration with songwriter and producer Joakim With Steen. He wrote the lyrics for the song Grab the Moment, which will represent Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest this year. McDonnell has studied media, information and communication technology and design at Volda University College.

Music video

Lyrics of Grab The Moment

They read me like a book that is open,
While punching on a bag and I’m choking.
I'm Looking for a sign, while they’re stepping on my
Mind, but I hide behind a simpleminded notion.
I try act cool, but I’m boiling,
Feeling like a fool, that was chosen.
Try to keep myself calm, while my head is getting
Bombed, really need to get that good vibe going.

So when it’s all or nothing,
I put my nerves in the coffin.
So when it’s all or nothing,
I put my nerves in the coffin.

I’m gonna kill that voice in my head,
I don’t care if I’m falling,
I’m gonna grab the moment.
I’m gonna kill that voice in my head,
I don’t care if I’m falling,
I’m gonna grab the moment.

Getting kinda heavy on my shoulders,
Try to stand straight, but I’m boneless.
Gotta pocket full of prose, while I’m walking on my
Toes, and I’m coping with a map that is roadless.
Got eyes in my neck, but I’m absent,
Quiet in a corner seeking action.
I wanna be bold, but I’m only getting old,
I need to stop drowning in distractions.

So when it’s all or nothing,
Better get that good vibe buzzing.
So when it’s all or nothing,
I get that good vibe buzzing.

I’m gonna kill that voice in my head,
I don’t care if I’m falling,
I’m gonna grab the moment.
I’m gonna kill that voice in my head,
I don’t care if I’m falling,
I’m gonna grab the moment.

Deep, in that beat,
There’s a calling for that leap.
Got no con--trol, but I know, there’s a fire in my soul.
Hidden deep, in that beat, there’s a calling for that leap.
Got no con--trol, but I know, there’s a fire in my soul.

I’m gonna kill that voice in my head,
I don’t care if I’m falling,
I’m gonna grab the moment.
I’m gonna kill that voice in my head,
I don’t care if I’m falling,
I’m gonna grab the moment.
Ils me lisent à livre ouvert,
Tout en frappant sur un sac et j'étouffe
En quête d'un signe alors qu'ils foulent mon esprit,
Mais je m'abrite sous une notion simpliste.

J'essaie de rester serein mais je suis en ébullition.
Je me sens comme un fou victime du sort.
Essaie de me calmer alors que ma tête subit un bombardement.
Vraiment besoin de générer de bonnes ondes.

Donc, quand c'est tout ou rien,
Je mets mes nerfs dans un cercueil.
Donc, quand c'est tout ou rien,
Je mets mes nerfs dans un cercueil.

Je vais tuer cette voix dans ma tête.
Tant pis si je tombe,
Je vais saisir le moment.

Je commence à sentir le poids sur mes épaules.
J'essaie de me tenir droit, mais je suis désossé.
J'ai de la prose plein les poches tout en rasant les murs
Aux prises avec une carte dénuée de routes.

J'ai des yeux derrière la tête mais je suis absent.
Je suis tranquille dans mon coin dans l'attente d'agir.
Je me veux audacieux mais ne fais que vieillir.
Je dois arrêter de me noyer dans les distractions.

Donc, quand c'est tout ou rien,
Je ferais mieux de faire vibrer les bonnes ondes.
Donc quand c'est tout ou rien,
Je fais vibrer les bonnes ondes.

Je vais tuer cette voix dans ma tête.
Tant pis si je tombe,
Je vais saisir le moment.

Au plus profond de ce rythme se cache un appel pour le grand saut.
Je ne contrôle rien mais je sais qu'un feu brûle dans mon âme.