Firelight frontman Richard Edwards is not letting the Eurohaters dampen his spirits. He tells Veronica Stivala he believes his song Coming Home may be in with a chance to win the Eurovision because of its own sound, a blend of rock, pop and folk.
Singer Richard Edward Micallef, aka Richard Edwards, narrates his life story a bit like a fairy tale. The 31-year-old claims “music is (his) life” and “it’s the best job in the world”. When asked whether music is his full-time career and whether he does anything else on the side, Edwards answer: “Music is everything.”
Edwards grew up in a musical house. “My dad is the singer, Joe George. Mum was a dancer. And my sister and my three brothers are singers and musicians too. Our house was always full of music.”
Nobody ever said he couldn’t be a singer, composer or songwriter. “It was more of a case of: go out there, enjoy music and chase your dreams,” he says.
And go out there he did. A few years ago, Edwards moved to the UK and took part in the TV talent show X Factor. He is keen to point out how he got the thumbs up from the notoriously harsh music producer and judge on the show, Simon Cowell. He made it to boot camp where he performed alongside the likes of Leona Lewis. Edwards joined a band and toured a bit in England after that, but missed his family and eventually returned home to Malta.
Edwards, the lead singer, author and composer in his six-piece band, is probably warming up his vocal cords as you read this, for on Thursday he will be playing with his band Firelight at the semi-final competition round at the Eurovision Song Contest in Copenhagen. They will be the first performers on. Edwards says this is exciting, noting how they “get to open the show and grab everybody’s attention right from the beginning”.
The fact that the song contest is belittled by many, ignored by quite a few and infamous for its political voting is no secret. Yet every year, many musicians enter the competition, with the hope of gaining exposure, perhaps making it as a musician, or just for the fun of it.
The song was recently ridiculed by Mirror columnist Carl Greenwood who told the song contest representatives to “walk away... while your silly hipster instruments are still in working order”. How does Edwards react to the Eurovision-sceptics and haters?
“Some countries take Eurovision more seriously than others but even people who think it is a joke can’t help but watch. It’s a fun evening for millions of people, and it doesn’t matter if you like some songs and hate others. Everyone is entitled to their personal taste. But if anyone thinks Eurovision is a waste of time, they should tell that to Abba or Celine Dion. Those winners did rather well, didn’t they?”
Edwards has hopes for his band and explains how their song, Coming Home, will mean “different things to different people”, hinting that it just might touch the hearts of enough people who have had to emigrate to win their votes.
The song’s lyrics go: “Roaming through fields, I’m trying to find this new land/ It’s only because I’m here, I’m finding gold in my hands.”
There can’t be any doubt that this is an exciting opportunity
He comments: “There are thousands of people in Europe who spend months away from family, working abroad. We all know about the Poles, Czechs and Lithuanians who moved to other countries to work. Who knows, Coming Home might prove especially poignant for them.”
The song is a blend of rock, pop and folk, is easy to listen to and features strumming guitar, double bass and Edwards’ mellow, slightly nasal voice cooing over the Appalachian mountain dulcimer (a fretted string instrument which looks something like a flat guitar). Many have likened the song to indie-rock band Beirut.
The band’s sound is admittedly not the traditional, catchy kitsch usually associated with the Eurovision. Edwards defends this by saying: “The thing about the Eurovision is that some rather good songs have won over the years. I particularly liked Fly on the Wings of Love from Denmark and Rock ‘n’ Roll Kids from Ireland. Neither of those songs could be described as kitsch.
And we shouldn’t forget that the heavy metal band Lordi from Finland won too. If it pays to be different then we may be in with a chance because we have been working hard at creating our own sound, a blend of rock, pop and folk.”
Win or lose, Edwards says the Eurovision is a platform to perform their music to an audience of many millions. It could be the springboard to greater things, he notes. “We love music and hope people will like our music. There can’t be any doubt that this is an exciting opportunity to expose more people to our sound.”
Speaking about what things will look like in Copenhagen, Edwards notes how all the signs are that the Danes are planning a spectacular show. “Certainly, the competition is very tough. We’ve heard the other songs and there are many good ones. But it’s one big adventure and we are going to make the most of every minute, and do all we can to make Malta proud of us.”
The Eurovision Song Contest semi-finals take place on Tuesday and Thursday, with the final taking place on Saturday.