Austria’s Teya and Salena may be channeling American author Edgar Allen Poe for their Eurovision 2023 entry “Who the Hell is Edgar?,” but ESC United’s own Connor Terry decided to channel American newswoman Barbara Walters when he chatted with the pair last week.
In an interview in the quirky and humorous spirit of Teya and Salena’s entry, Connor asked them about the origins of their act, the song, and some of the more memorable moments within, and if they have any plans for the future beyond Eurovision as artists.
As for actually being possessed by the spirit of Poe, Teya said that “I feel like that would be horrible, like he was such a miserable guy. I feel like we would very quickly become either alcoholics or insane or depressed or in love with our 13-year-old cousin.” (The latter a reference to Poe’s marriage to Virginia Clemm, whom he married in 1836 but who passed away from tuberculosis in 1847, two years before his bizarre death in 1849 at age 40.)
And it is in that humorous spirit that the rest of the interview was conducted, with it evident that the pair of singer songwriters have a natural vibe since they first met on the fifth season of the Austrian talent show Starmania. Salena was immediately impressed with Teya, and in return Teya revealed that she, being “a nosey bitch,” scoured Salena’s social media and admitted that she was her most feared competition, and that early on they each knew they had a love of Eurovision that connected them.
During the interview, Connor’s question regarding a purchase of a treadmill brought out a meta answer on staging that should be studied by other Eurovision artists who struggle to dance around the inevitable staging question that they cannot reveal the answer to at this stage.
And for fans who want to know how the song came about almost spontaneously at an Austrian songwriting camp with Teya originally charged with writing a song for Salena, check out the story and the hilarious, inadvertent contribution of producer Ronald Janeček.
Who are Hell are Teya and Salena?
Eagle eye Eurovision fans will have come across Thea Devy (Teya) and Salena (Selina-Maria Edbauer) before: both artists have tried out for Austria before, and Thea also tried out for Serbia.
Born April 12, 2000, Teya hails from Vienna, Austria, to Serbian parents, though spent time in her childhood in Kladovo, Serbia. Teya first tried out for Austria’s Eurovision 2020 campaign with “Judgment Day,” being one of the final three though ultimately losing out to Vincent Bueno. She entered Serbia’s Beovizija 2020 with “Sudnji Dan,” a version of her Austrian entry with lyrics translated into Serbian by her parents, coming in 10th place.
Teya’s song partner, Salena, was born March 11, 1998, in Leoben, Austria. She also tried out for Austria, but for Eurovision 2019 with “Behind the Waterfall.” She was also a participant of the 2017 season of The Voice of Germany, falling out at the duel stage.
Both Teya and Salena met at 2021’s Starmania, a talent show that has graduated Eurovision luminaries such as Conchita Wurst and Daniel Kajmakoski.
What did #YOU like most about our interview with Teya and Salena? Let us know on social media @ESCUnited, on our discord, or on our forum page!
