Next up for our series of interviews with the Latvian hopefuls is the band Double Faced Eels. We spoke to their lead singer Reinis Straume ahead of their Supernova debut, about the time he screamed until he nearly fainted and how the band ended up with their curious name…
Hello Double Faced Eels!
First of all thank you for your time talking to us. How are you? Can you introduce yourselves? What can you tell us about yourselves?
Thank you for having us! We’re great, thank you for asking. We’re Double Faced Eels from Riga, Latvia. You are talking to Reinis, the lead singer. Double Faced Eels is a modern rock/indie/pop act, but our roots are in punk rock and pop-punk.
Your song that you will be presenting for Supernova is “Fire”. What can you tell us about the song?
“Fire” is about having a driving force inside you that never lets you give up. The song is intended to be like a mantra for people who are facing obstacles on their road to reaching their dreams and need inspiration. It’s meant to remind you that as long as you still have that spark, it will guide you through anything.
What was the inspiration for the song, and did you write it specifically for Supernova and Eurovision?
We did not write this song specifically for Eurovision. We actually wrote the song in English, then made it in Latvian and released it in our 2018 Latvian EP and thought that the English version would make a great Eurovision song.
What is your impression of the Eurovision Song Contest in general? Do you watch it every year? What is your favourite entry?
Eurovision is an awesome platform for Europe to come together in a celebration that includes everyone. Sure, some countries sometimes participate with joke songs, but mostly contestants participate with serious songs hoping to get into the European music market. Honestly, we haven’t watched every year, but definitely most years – it’s a grand show and always fun to watch and root for your country. Our favorite entry has got to be Marija Naumova, the winner of 2002 – we’re patriots!
Do you think performing at the Eurovision Song Contest will have a positive impact on your career?
Definitely! We want to reach as many people as possible with our message.
What is the best bit of advice you have ever been given?
Stop being in your head too much and enjoy the experience (being on stage and performing)!
What’s the one thing that might surprise people about you?
Our band name actually should be “Two-faced Eels” but the mis-translation “Double” stuck!
Can you tell us about your first experience with music?
Reinis: the first show I played was with my punk band from school (we were actually not even old enough to be inside that bar) and I remember we had this more hardcore song to which I screamed so hard I almost fainted. Fun times!
Thanks for your time. We wish you the best of luck for the upcoming competition. Maybe we see you in May in Tel Aviv!
Double Faced Eels will compete with “Fire” in the first semi-final of Supernova, Latvia’s selection for Eurovision 2019. #YOU can catch Double Faced Eels’ performance next Saturday (2nd February) as they hope to qualify for the Supernova final.
Double Faced Eels can be found on social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Who do #YOU want to represent Latvia in Eurovision 2019? Share your thoughts with us on our forum HERE or join the discussion below and on social media!
