Brendan Murray is 'Dying To Try' for Ireland in Kyiv

From Tuam in County Galway Brendan has been a member of the successful boy band Hometown since he was 17. Hometown's first single Where I Belong became the fastest-selling single from a debut act and the fastest-selling single from an Irish artist in 2014, reaching number one in the Irish charts. The band's second single, Cry For Help was released in March 2015 in Ireland and also reached number one. Hometown have toured extensively in the UK and Ireland and have supported such acts as Olly Murs, McBusted and The Vamps. 

Singer Brendan Murray said: 

"When I first heard Dying To Try I instantly fell in love with it and knew it was the perfect song for me. I couldn’t wait to get into the studio to record it. My mum teared up the first time she heard it so that was a good start! The song builds slowly to a big key change which is great for me and allows me to showcase my vocal range. We shot the video in Bray on the beach in the freezing cold last weekend which was my first solo video shoot. It was a little bit nerve wrecking as I’m so used to having the other five Hometown guys around but the whole process was very exciting and I have a great team behind me. The song is a love song and it’s a power ballad. It’s about taking a leap of faith, putting your trust in someone else, there’s no guarantees that love will work out but it’s always worth trying which is the song title – Dying To Try. I'm very proud and honoured to be representing my country at the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest in Kyiv. It's a huge opportunity for me. I can't wait to get out there, fly the Irish flag and perform on the Eurovision stage." 

Eurovision mentor for Brendan Murray, Louis Walsh said: "When I first heard Dying To Try it really stood out from the other songs that were entered by songwriters from all over the world. I chose Brendan Murray because he is an amazing singer and his voice is so unique, I've never heard anyone like him before. The song and the singer are modern and contemporary and it’s a perfect combination for this years Eurovision in Kyiv. Ireland hasn’t won Eurovision since 1996 which is the same year that Brendan was born so perhaps that’s a lucky omen!"

Dying To Try was written by Grammy Award nominated Jörgen Elofsson who has been writing music for international artists for more than 15 years. He also wrote four of Westlife’s Top 40 number one hits. Jörgen Elofsson is a two time Ivor Novello Award winner and has written songs for Geri Halliwell, Celine Dion, Il Divo, Paloma Faith and Leona Lewis. Jörgen Elofsson said, "I knew that the competition for the Irish song would be tough, so I was very exited to hear that I came out on top. Brendan's got a very unique and  soulful voice, a dream singer for any songwriter, especially for a songwriter like me. I've co written the song together with fantastic UK songwriter James Newman and we immediately knew that it would fit Brendan like a glove. Now, let's hope that the rest of Europe feel the same way!"

Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest

Nicky Byrne represented Ireland in the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest's Second Semi-Final with the song Sunlight, finishing in 15th place. Ireland is the reigning champion of the Eurovision Song Contest with seven victories to date, followed by Sweden with six. Ireland last qualified for the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest in 2013.