News - Finland: Waldo talks to Esctoday.com | Eurovision Song Contest News - Azerbaijan 2012 

At the end of January Finland chose Waldo's People to represent the country in the Eurovision Song Contest in Moscow in May with the song Lose control. Waldo kindly took the time to answer some questions for the readers of Esctoday.com.

Congratulations for winning the national final in Finland! Did winning come as a surprise to Waldo's People as there were several big names in the contest?

It certainly did. Finland is the promised land for rock and Finnish schlager, so the victory of a dance music act was a really big surprise.

Was the band easy to persuade to take part, or has Waldo's People been interested in the Eurovision Song Contest  already before?

After the success of our single last spring and a  after a fantastic tour this is a great opportunity for the entire band. This is a great crown for a long career. I have always followed the Eurovision Song Contest with my family. My first Eurovision memory is of Abba winning. Now it felt the time was right for a song like Lose control.

Did your newest band member Karoliina Kallio bring with her some enthusiasm for taking part, as she has in fact already tried a few times in the qualifying rounds in Finland?

Karoliina joined the band a year ago in January and then the plan was to make a tour of only a couple of gigs. Everything snowballed from there and one thing led to another. Now we have arrived to this and we look forward to get perform our  song on the Eurovision stage.

Lose control seems to already have the whole package: a single with remixes has been number two in the Finnish charts, a music video is in rotation on the music channels, and a new album Paranoid is  also in shops. What's next, will you publish the album in other parts of Europe before the final? Have  you planned to go on a promo tour to other countries?

This area is the responsibility of the record company. We are happy to go and spread the happy message of Waldo's People wherever they command us to!

What about the stage performance, will it be more fine-tuned before Moscow, or changed perhaps even  more? Or  will you go ahead with the same team and presentation as in the qualifying rounds in Finland?

It will be somewhat the same as in the Finnish final, but also somewhat new! I do not wish to disclose all yet, as the neighbours might be listening!

Waldo's People also includes other members who were not involved on the stage at the Finnish final, but instead on stage were two backing singers. What do the other band members think about being left out?

We did think very closely with other band members in what configuration we should go on stage and decided in the end to leave the musicians out, as everybody is aware that they would not be playing their instruments really anyway. In this way we can make sure we have powerful vocals, as the chorus of our song is quite big vocally.

Lose Control has attracted a lot of positive attention amongst the fans in Finland and abroad. The readers of Esctoday.com have voted Finland to the second position two weeks in a row now. Finnish songs do not often rank that highly in fan polls before the contest, do you think this will also promise a good ranking in Moscow?

It is quite amazing when people like us!  I believe and hope that Lose Control works equally well both at home and abroad. Yes, I certainly believe this ranking might bring an indication of  how the voting might go (hopefully)!

This year, 50% of the result of the points awarded by each country will be decided by music experts and 50% by the viewers. Do you see that this to be good or bad for Waldo's People, or will Lose Control work equally in both camps?

I am confident that good a good song is a good song!

Sweden is drawn to be in the same semi-final with Finland, so at least some familiar high points might come from them. Do you expect to get points equally from other countries in the West and the East?

When we were offered this opportunity we decided that we first complete our album and then select a suitable song from it to go to the Eurovision Song Contest. We did not make a song especially for the contest. I think it is artificial to start writing a song that would please as many people in as many cultures as possible. Lose control sounds 100% like Waldo's People and of course we do hope that is pleases people all over Europe and that next Summer the whole of Europe will be dancing to Lose control.

Have you yet to had a chance to become acquainted with the other countries' chosen songs, and has someone made you feel they would be a dangerous rival?

I have followed the Swedish qualifying rounds up to this weekend and I have at least not yet started shaking with fear! Sweden of course is of course always a good rival to compete against, whether in music or ice hockey!

Will the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest final be held in Finland again?

Absolutely!

And finally, Waldo's People's greetings to the readers of Esctoday.com:

Millions of thanks and a big bow to all of you for the good comments so far. Meet you in Red Square in May!

Esctoday.com thanks Waldo for his good-spirited and even tongue-in-cheek comments. Further thanks to Katja Toivanen at SonyBMGFinland.

Click here to buy Waldo's People new album Paranoid (includes Lose control) at CDON.eu
Click here to buy Waldo's People - Back Again: The Greatest Hits (2 CD) at CDON.eu