Following their first rehearsal, Tim got a chance to catch up with Simone and Scott from Voyager to discuss their Liverpool experience so far.
Watch our interview with Voyager right here:
During their interview, Tim, Simone and Scott talked about how their first rehearsal went, as well as what they will tweak ahead of the second rehearsal. They also discuss what they hope for Australia’s future in the Contest, including their pride to be the first act from Western Australia to participate. They also reflect on Simone being the only female member of a band this year.
Voyager’s Eurovision journey so far
Following their second place in Australia Decides last year, SBS internally selected Voyager as their entry for Eurovision 2023. The song was revealed in February. In an interview with The Guardian, Estrin shared that the band received the news in a video call:
“The production team was like, just spitballing it out there, how would you see the staging?” Estrin says. Each band member shared what they imagined their ideal Eurovision performance would look like. “Then it was like, good news, because you are going to be representing Australia.
And we all went: ‘What!’ It was one of those moments where you almost fall off your chair.”
Daniel Estrin, Voyager
In the lead-up to Eurovision 2023, Voyager performed at PrePartyES in Madrid, Eurovision in Concert and the London Eurovision Party.
On Tuesday, Voyager performed on the Eurovision stage for their first rehearsal. You can find out more about their first rehearsal, and our thoughts on that here.
Who are Voyager?
Voyager was formed in 1999 by a group of friends studying at the University of Western Australia. The current line-up consists of Daniel Estrin (vocals and keyboard), Simone Dow (guitar), Scott Kay (guitar), Alex Canion (bass) and Ashley Doodkorte (drums). Estrin, an immigration lawyer by day, is the only original member of the band remaining in the line-up.
The band’s first album, Element V, was released in 2003. It was picked up by Dutch label DVS Records for European distribution, which saw the band begin their international success. The next years saw them play at prog and metal festivals across Europe, including ProgPower. Their second album, uniVers, was distributed across the USA by Locomotive Records, and saw widespread acclaim. They have released a total of seven records – the most recent being 2019’s Colours In The Sun. In addition, they have toured with a number of major European bands including Epica, Nightwish, Klone and Children of Bodom.
Voyager have set their sights on representing Australia at Eurovision since the nation was invited to the contest in 2015. The band were shortlisted as participants for national selection Australia Decides in 2020, but were not ultimately invited to compete. They tried again in 2022 with “Dreamer”, where they finished in second place – third with the jury and first in the televote.
Australia’s Eurovision journey
Being the latest country to debut into the Eurovision Song Contest; Australia debuted into the Eurovision Song Contest in 2015, with Guy Sebastian representing the land down-under with his entry “Tonight Again”, where they managed to place 5th. Since their debut, they have managed to participate every single year into the competition. In 2022, Australia was represented by Sheldon Riley, with his song “Not the Same”, which managed to qualify for the final and finish 15th, with 125 points.
What do you think of our interview with Voyager? Do you think they will qualify for the final this year? Where would you like Australia to finish this year? 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 cover the rehearsals of Eurovision 2023!
News Source: That Eurovision Site
Photo Credit: Sarah Louise Bennett / EBU
