With Melodifestivalen 2015 well underway in Sweden, escXtra were lucky enough to get to speak to former Idols participant and Let’s Dance champion Andreas Weise ahead of his participation in the competition. We asked about both television shows he had previously competed in as well as about his entry for this weekend’s show. Find out what he had to say below!
escXtra: Hi Andreas! “Bring Out the Fire” is your first entry into Melodifestivalen. What is it about the competition that made you want to take part?
Andreas Weise: During my 4 years in the business, I’ve wanted to be a part of Melodifestivalen, for sure. The competition is really a great opportunity for singers and performers to reach out to a wide audience. As a jazz and big band singer, it’s been hard finding the perfect song that combines my genre with pop but now I really believe that I’ve found a great mix and I know that there’s a lot of people who are going to be surprised by “Bring Out the Fire”! the style of the song is really funky and organic but also more pop than I’ve ever done before, so I’m really excited to hear how people are going to react.
X: You finished fifth in Idol in 2010, did you enjoy the experience of the show? What did you learn from the process?
AW: Of course, Idol was a great time for me in so many ways; to learn how to perform under extreme stress and anxiety is what it’s all about. Working with cameras, staging, lights and in-ear monitors is not easy for beginners, even though I’ve been performing live since I was 10-11 years old but it was a great experience and to be honest, without Idol, I probably wouldn’t be here today. However, after 4 years of performing full time on stage, I think I have the routine to go in and do something really amazing. That was not the case back in 2010. 🙂
X: “Bring Out the Fire” is written by Thomas G:son, Henrik Jansson and Anton Malmberg Hård af Segerstad; what was it like to work with this team of songwriters on your entry?
AW: This is actually not my first time working with Thomas and Henrik. We tried to get into the competition back in 2012 with a great song and we almost made the cut. Henrik and I have been writing songs together for a while now, so we know each other but these 3 guys are amazing and as a débutant, I feel safe and very satisfied having Anton, G:son and Henrik behind me. The statistics of these 3 songwriters talks for itself and I knew the first time I heart the song that we had a hit.
X: What can we expect from “Bring Out the Fire”?
AW: You can expect a very energetic number with happiness and powerful lyrics. I want the audience to feel that they’re moving into a whole new world… the Weise world! 😉
X: You were also on Let’s Dance in 2011 – are you going to use some of your dancing ability from that whilst you perform at Melodifestivalen?
AW: Of course I will be moving on stage and doing some nice combinations with my dancers. Hopefully I will give the audience a great show but it’s really focussed on my singing! Let’s Dance was more a fun thing to do but Melodifestivalen is a whole different thing.
X: Do you have any expectations for your upcoming début in Melodifestivalen?
AW: Not really but one thing is for sure… I want to win and I would really like to go to Vienna! 🙂
X: Can we expect a new album release from you alongside your participation?
AW: I’m in the studio recording as we speak! I’m writing a pop album and a swing album, both for Sweden/Europe and also for the US.
X: What would it mean to you to proceed forward to the Friends Arena and have a chance to win the ticket to represent Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 in Vienna, Austria?
AW: It would mean a great deal. To represent Sweden would be an honour and something I would remember my whole life and of course, the chance of reaching new fans in Europe increases.
X: Finally, your father is a well-known television announcer, particularly on SVT’s Christmas Eve programming. Have you ever thought about doing his job or has your heart always been in love with singing?
AW: I’ve never thought about it because singing and performing has always been my one and only interest!
escXtra would like to thank Andreas for his time and wish him good luck for his upcoming participation in the third semifinal of Melodifestivalen 2015.
