RTÉ HAS ANNOUNCED the five acts and songs that will compete to represent Ireland at the 60th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna this year.
The finalists are: Alex Saint and the MJs; Kat Mahon; Erika Selin; Nikki Kavanagh; and Molly Sterling.
They will perform their songs live at Eurosong on the Late Late Show on Friday 27 February.
Alex Saint
Zambian-born artist Alex Saint moved to London at the age of 15 where he learned his rapping skills. He moved to Belfast where he currently performs in many R&B clubs.
His track ‘She’s So Fine’ is written by Tony Adams-Rosa, who has been a Eurosong finalist many times. Alex is accompanied by the MJ’s, a young female vocal group from county Derry.
The Eurovision is a brilliant contest and this song is a real winner. I feel this is the year of the rap.
Kat Mahon
Kat Mahon (28) is from Newtownforbes but now lives in Drumlish Co Longford. She was one of the singers in the band Lilac Blues which made it to the semi-finals of RTE’s The All Ireland Talent Show and has played support for artists including Delerontos and John Spillane. She was also Longford’s 2014 representative in The Rose of Tralee. Kat sings ‘Anybody Got a Shoulder’, which was written by veteran singer-songwriter and previous Eurovision winner Charlie McGettigan.
Charlie McGettigan approached me to do vocals and I jumped at the opportunity to work with him. I am over the moon that it’s been selected as one of the final five songs and I’m now eager to get up a perform it!
Erika Selin
Erika Selin (23) is from Sweden, where she has participated in the talent shows Idols and Talang. ‘Break me up’ is an up-tempo pop song, composed by Gustav Eurén, Niclas Arn and Danne Attlerud.
I am very proud to be a part of Eurosong 2015 since Ireland is one of the absolute top nations in the Eurovision Song Contest with a tremendous track record, always producing great songs.
Nikki Kavanagh
In 2010 Nikki Kavanagh was part of the Irish Eurovision team headed by Niamh Kavanagh and in 2011 she missed out to Jedward to represent Ireland. She has toured Ireland and Europe extensively. Nikki’s song ‘Memories’ is written by Lee Anna James, Elena Morosanu, Simon Gribbe, Johnny Sanchez and Dimitri Stassos.
I’m a huge Eurovision fan; I’ve been there before and would love more than anything to go back as lead vocalist representing our country. As for our song, it’s current, it’s edgy and I think it will help us stand out against the rest of Europe.
Molly Sterling
Molly Sterling (16) is a self-taught musician from Nenegh in Co Tipperary. She and songwriter Greg French co-wrote ‘Playing with Numbers’ as part of her upcoming album. The song is about the risks people take every day in love and in life, and the experiences of taking the road less travelled.
As a performing artist it’s rare to get the opportunity to represent your country. To be selected to do so would be an honour and a great responsibility that I would proudly embrace.
All five songs will debut on the Ray D’Arcy Show on RTÉ Radio 1 this afternoon.
As was the case in previous years, Ireland’s Eurovision entry will be chosen by a combination of public and regional jury vote, after the acts perform on the Late Late Show on 27 February.
The Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Vienna, Austria. Ireland will compete in the second semi-final on Thursday, 21 May. The final takes places on Saturday, 23 May.
Michael Kealy, Executive Producer of the Eurovision, said that the selection process has “gone back to basics” this year.
“We did a call out to songwriters in October and got over 300 entries. The five that have been shortlisted represent a range of genres and styles. Eurovision is more than just a big entertaining extravaganza; it offers an exciting opportunity to up-and-coming performers to be seen and heard by millions.”
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