In less than a week from today, 11 artists will take to the stage in Hvidville for the prestigious ticket to Eurovision 2024 in Malmö. As we gear up for the Vidbir finals, I had a chance to get to know some of the participants a little better and sit down and talk. Today, for his first Vidbir interview, he is joined by his wonderful Ziferblat band to talk about their preparation for Vidbir and life as a band in Ukraine during these difficult times.
I’m glad to have the opportunity to bring Ziffer Blatt to ESC United for an interview! Welcome, Daniil, Valentin and Fedil. How are you today?
Varya: Hello everyone! Everything is fine, we are preparing for performances, going to all kinds of radio, interviews, etc.
Danil: Hello! It was a very difficult day. But we are satisfied with the work we did.
It looks like you’ve made some very thorough preparations! This will be the first time for the Ukrainian team to participate in the Vidvir tournament. What made you decide to enter this year? When did you first decide to enter Selection?
Valya: Yes, this is definitely our first final. I tried it last year, but it stopped at the “longlist stage.”
Danil: I am motivated by personal goals. Achieving these goals will not be possible without new experiences and greater audience participation. My biggest goal when I was young was to make a big album in Ukraine that would rival world musical masterpieces like Pink Floyd’s “The Wall”.
Your entry “Place I Call Home” is your first song released in English. How did that change your songwriting experience? What made you decide to enter with an English song?
Varya: To be honest, when we were still in school, we had our first music group and it was called Runnin’ Blue (after the Doors song). At that time all our songs were in English. This is something new for us… more like a forgotten old thing 🙂
You have experience in both languages, which is amazing! Ask your readers rapid-fire questions to help them learn more about you. How would you describe your music and sound to someone who has never heard your music before? Are there any musicians who influence or inspire you musically?
Valya: People always ask me about this in Ukraine, and I don’t know what to answer. We just write music and combine different styles. But the influences of the 70s and his 80s bands are obvious and hard to argue with. Although we listen to a lot of contemporary music.
Danil: I am inspired by music with unusual harmonies. We are trying to do the same. My idols are Greg Lake and Maurice Ravel, but they don’t influence our work.
When you are not performing or doing music activities, how do you each spend your free time? Do you spend a lot of time together outside of your music activities?
Valya: Yes, we are always together. But we need to understand that we still need to work in parallel. For now, music gives us enough money to keep the band going. But not for personal needs. I work in sales. But I can’t say I like it 🙂 That’s life.
Danil: I spend most of my time working. This applies to music, but it also applies to office work. When I’m not playing music, I like reading books and watching sporting events. I especially like playing and watching tennis and football.
What message do you hope Vidbir’s entry sends to the Eurovision community?
Valya: There is a war going on in Ukraine. Life is very difficult. Our song is for everyone who has lost their home for any reason. But they keep it in their hearts. Obviously, this song was written based on our own experience and is rather for Ukrainians. However, the loss of homeland is a familiar theme for many people in Europe and around the world.
Our main message is “Don’t forget home”. Don’t forget where you came from. We also want everyone to understand that people do not become refugees by choice. So we want everyone to remember them and continue to help them.
This is a very strong message for many people around the world. I also have a question for Mr. Fedil. As readers may already know, Daniil and Valentin are twins. Considering you joined the band a few years later, how is it working together as a team?
Fedya: Now I feel like a ninth cousin…
The boys have quite an interesting relationship, and like any twin, they have a special bond with each other, but when emotions run high they often forget about it, and I’m a fire extinguisher. must be fulfilled.
Working with boys is not always easy, but by involving everyone in the process we always find a way to understand each other and synergy emerges from there.
That sounds like a very interesting dynamic! I know you can’t say too much, but can you tell us something about your plans for the Vidbir stage? What style of performance can we expect?
Varya: I want to tell you, but I can’t. All I can say is that it needs to be big and concise 🙂 We’ll find out on February 3rd.
I will definitely do it! Last but not least, where can our readers find you before and after Vidbir 2024? Please feel free to include us in your upcoming projects.
Varya: We are currently focusing our efforts on the selection process. That way everything will go according to our schedule. For now, they are only performing within Ukraine, as they are not allowed to cross the border. And let’s take a look 🙂
A new song will be released immediately after the finals. If you like our work, please follow us on Instagram, his TikTok, and even Facebook.
Final question – Is there a message you would like to share with ESCUnited readers?
Varya: All Ukrainians are going through very difficult times. Not just in the last two years. In fact, the war has been going on for 10 years. Now I would like to wish you all peaceful skies and lots of love. Please use with confidence. And let’s respect each other.
Thank you so much Fedil, Valentin and Danil! – Vidbir Good luck on stage!
if #you If you want to support Zifferblatt’s entry into Eurovision 2024, be sure to watch and vote for the final on Saturday 3rd February.