Germany is gearing up their preparations for Unser Lied für Liverpool 2023. As artists look ahead to the national final, which takes place on March 3rd, Angus speaks with Will Church for an interview. He is vying to represent Germany in Liverpool with his song “Hold On”.
Thank you for the opportunity to interview you! For many Eurovision fans, this will be their first introduction to you. Tell me a little bit about yourself
Hey, Thanks for having me. I´m Will Church. A singer/songwriter based in Berlin. I like playing music, eating lasagna and I´d love to be part of the ESC in Liverpool this year.
Before we continue, let’s start with a quick icebreaker by just asking if there is one thing about yourselves that not many people know about?
I´m a massive fan of Dragon Ball. I own all the mangas which is quite a lot.
Let’s move on to Eurovision. You will be participating in Unser Lied für Liverpool. Can I start off by asking, what made you want to participate in the German selection?
The moment I got interested in participating was when Lena Meyer-Landrut won back in 2010. Since then I thought that’s something I want to do too but it seemed waaaaay out of reach. The last years Germany didn’t do too well and I just wrote a song that might have a chance so I thought let’s give it a try. So here I am trying.
You are competing with the song “Hold On”, what would you say the song is about?
Hold on is a reminder that it’s totally fine to ask for help if you don’t feel well. We are not alone and we all can do something to help each other. For me personally it’s my family and friends who helped in times I struggled with my career during all the Covid lockdowns.
How did writing the song go? And is this how you usually write music?
We got together via Zoom and wrote remotely with two guys from Germany and a producer from Sweden. When we found that topline we thought “Well-this could be an ESC song for sure” and now we’re here. First I didn’t like the way of writing songs remotely but I realized it’s crazy effective and it can be relaxing having your own coffee in a session.
Is there anything you can share with us about what we can expect from you on stage at Unser Lied für Liverpool?
Let me describe it in ten words:
not,100%, done, yet, dark, gotham, beginning, bright, emotional, end.
Competing in a National Final has given you a lot of attention and new fans in Germany and across Europe and beyond, how has the experience felt so far?
Compared to the Voice of Germany, it´s completely different from what I can tell. The thing with the Voice is that you get the spotlight for about 5 minutes and then it´s gone. Now I feel like people keep coming and watching what I do and trying to figure out who I am. Thinking about how I´d perform and having numerous opinions about us artists. It´s a bit weird sometimes but I kinda love that.
What would it mean for you to win Unser Lied für Liverpool and go to Eurovision?
It would mean the world and I´m not kidding. I´m 100% sure I would cry.
What is your favourite Eurovision entry?
Lordi – Hard Rock Hallelujah
Who are your musical inspirations?
I´d say Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, James Arthur had the biggest influence on me when I started making my own music.
What songs of yours, be it an original or a cover, would you recommend to people who like “Hold On” and want to listen to more of your music?
If „Hold On“ is something for you you better check out „With Or Without“ or „For You“. You’ll love it I swear.
You also competed on the 2021 season of The Voice of Germany. Do you feel that taking part in that has helped you prepare for Unser Lied für Liverpool?
Even though it feels different it really helped being cool with the situation of only having one shot. When you’re an artist and used to play shows you usually play a set of 1h or 2 and the set gets better and better. Now I only have 3 minutes to show the world who I am. That’s not so easy but I know I can do it.
Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us, and good luck in Unser Lied für Liverpool! Is there anything you would like to say to the International readership of That Eurovision Site?
I hope you like my song “Hold On” and if you haven´t yet go stream it on spotify and don´t forget to vote for me in case I make it to the finals in Liverpool. Readers, you’re the best
xx
About Will Church
Will Church is a German multi-instrumentalist and singer/songwriter from Berlin. His musical journey started with Metallica, who he first listened to when he was 5 years old. Growing up, he took singing lessons and later would play in a band and as a street musician. Will began writing in 2019, and took part in The Voice of Germany 2021, singing Duncan Laurence’s “Arcade” at the auditions. He is hoping to go to Eurovision with his song “Hold On,” which he wrote together with Eddie Jonsson, Megan Ashworth, and Patrick Liegl.
Germany’s Eurovision Journey
Germany has been part of Eurovision since the beginning, debuting in 1956. Their debut entries were Walter Andreas Schwarz’s “Im Wartesaal zum großen Glück” and Freddy Quinn’s “So geht das jede Nacht”. Germany has appeared at every Eurovision since except for 1996, which means they have been at more contests than any other country. They have a long history of success in Eurovision, finishing in the top 3 an impressive 13 times. Germany has won the contest twice. Nicole won in 1982 with her song “Ein bißchen Frieden”, taking home 161 points in the process. Their second win came in 2010, when Lena scored 246 points with her song “Satellite”.
Germany’s most recent Eurovision entry was Malik Harris’ “Rockstars”. As Germany is part of the Big 5, they automatically qualified for the Grand Final. In the Final, the song received 6 points and finished 25th in the Final.
What do you think of our interview with Will Church? Do you think “Hold On” could represent Germany in Liverpool? As always, let us know what you think by commenting below. Also, be sure to follow “That Eurovision Site” on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tiktok as we prepare for Eurovision 2023!
News Source: That Eurovision Site
Photo Credit: Benjamin Süßmilch
