Icelandic ballad about a journey called life

The pop rock singer from Iceland had his second rehearsal today and the first Press Conference. But before that, while waiting for him in the backstage, we used the opportunity to talk with authors of this year’s Icelandic ballad. “The song is about life and the life experience. It’s also about those who give meaning to that journey called life”, songwriters Örlygur Smári and Pétur Örn Guðmundsson said.

For Örlygur Smári Öggi this is not the first Eurovision song he wrote. Icelandic composer and producer was an author of Tell Me, Eurovision Song Contest entry from 2000, This Is My Life in 2008 and a songwriter of Je Ne Sais Quoi in 2010 performed by Hera Björk.

“After those three eurodance songs I wanted to do something different. I teamed up with Pétur Örn Guðmundsson and we wrote a ballad this time. Second, we have a song in Icelandic this year. However, I don’t think that would be a problem for the viewers across Europe. Thanks to Eyþór Ingi it’s going to be easy to follow the story he is singing about and to understand it”, Örlygur Smári stated.

Our song always sounds different!

We were wondering did Eurovision Song Contest make their song sound different. Örlygur and Pétur explained how there is a slight diference in the performance, but mostly in a visual way. “It always sounds different, but in comparing with Söngvakeppnin festival, we added a sequence with four backing vocalists”.

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Gunnlaugsson already has a long career behind himself. With 15 he played in the musical Oliver! Later on he took part in TV talent show and won. In other words, it’s not suprising that this year’s Icelandic contestant, also known by his progressive rock songs, has a very convincng stage performance.

“I always do things differently. Everytime I do something different. Taking part in Eurovision is a new challenge for me and also something different”, Eyþór Ingi said.

While being on stage, his performance is followed by some blue lights and lot’s of warm images of Iceland (sea, houses, lighthouses). Nevertheless, it seems that Eyþór made his decision on the outfit that he is going to wear too – black jeans and a black jacket with lapels.

"I sing to my wife and my three kids"

The Icelandic delegation is completely satisfied with the Second rehearsal. “It was perfect, sound, design and the peformance. “We are looking forward to the second Semi-Final on Thursday”, Jónatan Garðarsson, Head of Delegation said during the Press Conference.

Eyþór Ingi is also relaxed, but he doesn’t really see Eurovision as a competition: “I don’t see it that way. For me it’s just a moment, when we all get together.”

Journalists were interested who is pop rock star from Iceland singing to? “The song that I’m singing is a message to my wife and my children, but everyone can find someone they love, someone who gives them a reason to live”, this year’s contestant from Iceland said.

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Among many question from the press, one was also about Dalvík, small town in Iceland that nurtured a lot of great singers and some of them already took part in Eurovision Song Contest. "Good question", Eyþór said. "I think it’s mostly beause of the great nature we have.  I had fifty steps to the mountain or to the sea from the house where I lived as a kid. You just have to love mother nature. When you are close to the nature, you get some powerful energy back from it.”