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Rising in Ireland: The first step for Wild Youth

01 May 2023 at 19:13 CEST
Wild Youth from Ireland in the Eurovision 2023 studio Corinne Cumming / EBU
Irish band Wild Youth are heading for the Eurovision stage with their song ‘We Are One.’ They might be different, they might be unique, but they’re putting their voices together to represent Ireland in Liverpool.
Wild Youth rehearsing We Are One for Ireland at the First Rehearsal of the First Semi-Final at Liverpool Arena
Chloe Hashemi / EBU

The 4-piece band won the hearts of the Irish public when they competed on The Late Late Show’s Eurosong Special. With a combined audience, national jury, and international jury vote, they stormed through the show to win a ticket to Eurovision. To add to their appeal, Wild Youth are already well-known in Ireland and have been the support act for huge stars, including The Script and Kodaline.

Wild Youth took their first Eurovision breath on Sunday 30 April, when they stepped up to the stage for their first rehearsal. Unlike the sequinned headgear that they rocked in their music video, the band arrived showing their pretty faces. Lead singer Conor wore a sparkly gold jumpsuit, lighting up the room with that and the band's infectiously positive energy. When they rise, they rise like the sun.

Wild Youth rehearsing We Are One for Ireland at the First Rehearsal of the First Semi-Final at Liverpool Arena Sarah Louise Bennett / EBU

The official Eurovision Live Blog felt the We Are One positivity, and noted after the first rehearsal: "This staging features our first stairs of the day - a horseshoe arrangement featuring ALL the LEDs. The whole performance looks and sounds fabulous, and we've already heard there's pyro incoming."

When they’re not performing, Wild Youth are big football fans. In fact, they say the most British thing they’ve ever done is have a pie at a football match. They’ll be right at home in Liverpool, where football runs in the city’s veins.

For anyone who knows Wild Youth’s music, it won’t be surprising to hear that U2’s Beautiful Day and Coldplay’s Higher Power feature on their all-time favourite hits. They’re also partial to vintage classics like Elvis Presley’s Jailhouse Rock and Prince’s Kiss.

The Official Eurovision Song Contest Podcast host caught up with Wild Youth to see how they were feeling, and they said: “We were talking about how lucky we are to get this experience to be here, to be a part of this whole thing, to represent our country, and get to travel around to all these beautiful cities, perform our song, then be a part of the Eurovision.” Of course, it’s not just the live shows in Liverpool that artists are involved with, but the whole journey in the run up.  “We feel incredibly grateful and honoured to be here, honestly.”

There’s more from Wild Youth on Episode 9 of the Official Eurovision Song Contest Podcast.

You can learn more about Wild Youth from Ireland right here.