🇭🇷 James Night: “I hope the story of the song is shared”

Croatia is gearing up their preparations for Dora 2024. As artists look ahead to the national final, which begins on February 22nd, Rory speaks to James Night. He is vying to represent Croatia in Malmö with his song “Nebo plače”.

Check out our interview with James Night here!

Together, James and Rory talk about how he wrote the song “Nebo plače”. He also explains the secret personal story behind the song, her focus on the visuals and her memories of Eurovision. He also offers a message to his newfound international fans, and offers recommendations if you like his song.

About James Night

James Night is the stage name of Leonardo Šajin, a 25-year-old singer-songwriter from Vinkovci, in eastern Croatia. Night has explained that he has been making music for as long as he can remember, and has been shaping his music ever since. In 2023, James released his first album Weatherman, which was among those included in the Top 40 ‘must listen’ albums from independent artists. His entry into Dora 2024 – “Nebo plače” – was written by James himself.

Croatia’s Eurovision journey

Croatia has been a part of the Eurovision family since 1961, as part of Yugoslavia. Ten Croatian artists went on to represent Yugoslavia in the Contest – the most famous of which being Riva, who gave Yugoslavia its only win in 1989. The 1990 Contest was held in Zagreb as a tribute to their Croatian heritage.

Croatia debuted in the Contest as an independent nation in 1993 with the band Put and their song “Don’t Ever Cry”. Since then, Croatia has gone on to score as high as 4th place in 1996 and 1999. For 2023, Croatia chose the well-known band Let 3 to represent the nation in Liverpool with their song “Mama ŠČ!”. Performing in the first semi-final, Croatia qualified for the Grand Final for the first time since 2017. In the Grand Final, the band finished in 13th place, with a total of 123 points – 11 of which coming from juries, whilst another 112 came from the televote.

What do you think of our interview with James Night? Do you think “Nebo plače” could represent Croatia in Malmö? As always, let us know what you think by commenting below. Also, be sure to follow “That Eurovision Site” on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tiktok, Threads, Tumblr and Bluesky as we prepare for Eurovision 2024!

News Source: That Eurovision Site

Photo Credit: Jakov Kaštelanac / HRT