The Road to Malmo: Latvia – Interview with PeR

If you saw the finals of Dziesma 2013, you know that the winners, PeR, really wanted this win.  The emotion after they were announced winners was huge!  One thing is for sure is that with all that emotion, PeR will be ready to bring it to the stage in Malmo.  ESC United was lucky enough to chat with the boys from PeR as they prepare for Malmo.

PeR (Please Explain The Rhythm) is a Latvian beatbox and vocals band that was formed by two singers and beatboxers from Latvia (Edmunds and Ralph) in 2007.  PeR have performed in all of the biggest Latvian TV shows. These two musicians have already participated in the Eurovision Latvian finals in 2009, 2010, and 2012.

They also have experienced a lot of international success.  PeR’s single “Go Get Up” peaked at #2 in Denmark’s “Chart Base” Top 100.  They were also winners of the Independent Music Chart’s “Best New Artist” and “Best European Alternative Video.”  PeR also received the same nominations from in Mexico from independent music sit “Ev.gerad Music. “

At the end of 2012 PeR released their self-titled debut album which was nominated as the album of the year in Latvian “Gada Balva.” The album is available for download on iTunes (click HERE).

———————————

ESC UNITED: Hi guys! First off, congratulations on your success at Dziesma 2013. How does it feel to be representing Latvia in a few months?!
PeR: It feels awesome! Eurovision means a lot to us, because we think it’s a huge opportunity to show the world what kind of music is in your country and we are also able to show ourselves as a band.

ESC UNITED: We know there’s a lot of information on the Internet about PeR, but in one sentence, how would you describe your group? 
PeR: We are young, crazy and full with energy.

ESC UNITED:  “Here We Go” and “Sad Trumpet” were two very different songs. Could you tell us a bit about the writing and recording process for these two songs?
PeR: “Sad Trumpet” came outta nowhere. We were in rehearsal and our guitar player just started to play some melody and we started to sing and beatbox. “Here We Go” was born in studio. We just wanted to write a song for the album and after 4 days in the studio it was done.

ESC UNITED: We know “Here We Go” won, but are you guys a little disappointed “Sad Trumpet” didn’t do better?
PeR: “Sad Trumpet” is really beautiful song, but “Here We Go” had more chances in Eurovision, so we told our audience to vote for “Here We Go” and let “Sad Trumpet” to be a song for romantic evenings.

ESC UNITED: What happens next for PeR? How do you prepare for Malmo? Will you change the song or performance in any way?
PeR: Now we have a really busy schedule with interviews and rehearsals, but on stage we will do everything that we do in our concerts – jump, have fun and give good emotions, so there will be no changes or surprises, but to make sure, you will have to wait till Malmo! =)

ESC UNITED:  We saw that your album is now available on iTunes internationally. Can you tell us a bit about the album?
PeR: The album is great. =) We still think that it’s the best album in the world. It combines so many styles of music and we prove that beatbox can be part of any genre.

ESC UNITED: What do you believe is the key to winning a song contest like Eurovision?
PeR: We think the biggest key is artist charisma. If people see that you love what you do, then they will love it to.

ESC UNITED: Do you have any favorite Eurovision songs?
PeR: We have seen a few of 2013 Eurovision songs, but we don’t have a favourite yet. Each one of them is good in their own way and it’s really difficult to decide on a favourite at this early stage. Last year we really liked LOREEN.

ESC UNITED: What advice would you give to anyone interested in songwriting?
PeR: Our advice is to start writing. If you do something from your heart, then you always will succeed.

ESC UNITED: Any closing thoughts you would you like to share with your fans?
PeR: Keep listening to good music and enjoy your life.

ESC UNITED: Thanks guys for your time!

PeR’s album is available for download on iTunes (click HERE).