Softengine
The group Softengine charmed both the Finnish public and the jury in the UMK, Contest For New Music in Finland and got the majority of both votes. The Eurovision Song Contest will be the first real big performance for the outfit but surely not the last!Softengine was formed in the city of Seinäjoki in the summer of 2011, at the cottage of the grandparents of singer/guitarist/songwriter Topi Latukka. They came to their present line-up in the summer of 2013, after diligent songwriting, practising, gigging and success in band competitions.
Their promising career took a sharp upturn when they signed a recording contract with Sony Music Finland early in 2014 and a couple weeks later hit the jackpot by winning the UMK. The decision to enter the contest was made at the last minute and it took the boys ten days to finish their entry Something Better. It is composed by singer Topi Latukka and the lyrics are by Latukka and keyboardist Henri Oskár.
"We were jamming and playing funk at our training facility ten days before the deadline of the UMK. The next day at work it dawned on me that I could make a real song out the jam. I planned a chorus in my head and presented it to the others in the next practice. We tried a simplified version of the chorus and that turned everyone on. So we decided to forget about the funk part." the band explains
"We went to my 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. We finished it in the nick of time on the day of the contest deadline.
What is it about?
To cut a long story short, the lyrics are 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 has never achieved anything and has not done anything out of the ordinary.
In his old days his wife dies and he realises that what they had was "something better" than what he could have achieved and that he should have cherished the moment.”
This time the busy schedule had its advantages, as Something Better has stirred up interest both in the Finnish and international music media. It is one of the most played songs on the Finnish radio and the band has the support of many famous Finnish musicians.
At the Eurovision Song Contest Softengine will concentrate on their strength, the irresistible live energy of a young rock band. The group looks forward to a unique experience and represents Finland with self-assurance. "We just go there and play a three-minute gig with full blast".
Besides the Eurovision Song Contest, the boys will be busy recording their debut album and gigging through the summer. One of the high points is a concert in their hometown Seinäjoki at Provinssirock, one of the biggest and oldest rock festivals in Finland.
