Eurovision darling SuRie, who blew us away in 2018 with the UK entry Storm, catches up with Graham Robson to share how she’ll be surviving without Eurovision in 2020, new music and plans for when this has blown over!
Hey SuRie, how’s it going?
Hello! It’s going! I don’t know what day it is or for how many days I’ve been wearing these socks, but I’m absolutely fine, ta.
What have you been up to?
I’ve been finishing my new EP, Rye. The weeks have been quite intense and full on, especially trying to finish it during lockdown and the limitations that has created, but I’m certainly not complaining, it’s been a great focus and distraction to be working on and I’m so happy with how it’s sounding.
I also performed an iSuRielation: Lockdown Eurovision Party, which was livestreamed on my YouTube and became quite a mission as I really wanted to livestream with decent quality sound and visual. It’s been a creative and educational time!
Turning the clock back to 2018, what was it like performing on the big Eurovision stage?
It was like no other performance I have, or ever will, experience! It was absolutely unforgettable. Amazing.
How’s life been after Eurovision?
Life has been wonderful, thank you. I never, ever expected to be welcomed into the Eurovision fan community as beautifully as this. I thought that bubble would burst quickly after the contest in 2018, but I am constantly blown away by how kind, loyal, supportive and generous that gorgeous crowd is, all over the world.
You’ve performed on Brighton’s LGBTQ+ scene, at Bar Broadway a couple of times now. Are you hopeful the scene and its venues will come back stronger than ever once this is over?
I love Brighton, I love Bar Broadway and I so hope that venues, performers and audiences are going to be ok after all this. The fallout is going to be huge and take a long while for various businesses to recover. I am worried for the industry and how it will continue to be affected until we find a successful vaccine and treatment that allows us to return back to cramming, sweaty shoulder to sweaty shoulder, into our favourite nightly haunts once again!
Eurovision is about bringing people together through music, which is more important now than ever, virtually at least… What are you going to miss the most about the contest? What does Eurovision mean to you?
As ever, the Eurovision community have proved to be such a constant source of joyful connection and positivity, even if just digitally for now. I am really sad for the 2020 artists, production teams, fans and everyone connected to ESC that they won’t get their official celebration in Rotterdam this year, but I think of the pent up electricity that will explode in 2021 and it gives me happy goosebumps just thinking of it!
It’s really odd to have no Eurovision this year (we’re gutted, actually!). Will you be marking Eurovision in your own way?
It really is so odd. On the night I’ll be raising a glass to the class of ESC 2020 and will definitely be tuning into the EBU’s broadcast, Eurovision: Europe Shine A Light.
You’ve been giving away handwritten Eurovision Party set lists over Twitter. Tell us your favourite tunes to cheer us up?
Some tunes that have really put a smile on my face whilst I’ve been jogging:
Beyonce – Love On Top
TLC – Waterfalls
Candi Staton – You’ve Got The Love
Lizzo – Juice
The Mamas – Move
You’ve been teasing the date 15th May. Anything you’d like to spill?
MY NEW EP RYE IS COMING OUT! I can’t wait to share these new tracks and tell you more about Rye in the coming weeks. Save the date, she’s on her way!
What will you be doing when this is all over?
I’ll carry on writing, recording, singing and sharing music as long as people wanna hear it! If it has to be digitally, until venues can safely open again, so be it, but I’ll certainly be at my piano and sharing the sounds from my throat, you can be sure of that.
Any words of wisdom to keep us going?
Someone once said ‘Storms don’t last forever’… That seems to be a good motto for now…
Connect with SuRie over Twitter @surieofficial or hop on over to her website, www.surie.me
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