They’ve been the talk of the town in the Eurovision world ever since their entry was released in full. The streets of Moscow, with my girlfriend – the line has already become iconic for The Hungry Hearts and their entry Laika. Tonight they’ll be hoping to convince Norway together with Lisa Dillan. We’ve spoken to the leader of The Hungry Hearts: Tonje Gjevjon. Check it out below!
escXtra.com: Hey Tonje! First of all, congrats on being in MGP! How does it feel?
Tonje Gjevjon: If feels fantastic, bombastic, iconoclastic, surrealistic – it is crazy and it is true!!!
X: What can we expect from your performance? You must be planning quite something?
T: Our plan is to access people’s minds and hearts with our performance. How we will do this is a secret until the show starts, but you should expect disco and female fire.
X: You’ve teamed up with Lisa Dillan. Why Lisa?
T: We invited Lisa DiIlan to be featuring artist because of her voice. The song has some emotional sequences and Lisa’s voice is made for singing about love, longing and emotions. Her voice comes from outer space!
X: Laika. What can you tell us about the background of that song?
T: Laika was the first cosmonaut dog to orbit the earth in 1957 so the song is based on an historical event. Laika was a street dog in Moscow and in my mind she had an exciting and happy life before she was taken by the Sputnik II team and left alone in space. Out in the atmosphere there is no disco, no girlfriend – so the song is about Laika’s longing for her life in the streets of Moscow.
X: What’s your ideal night out?
T: Dinner on Indian or Japanese restaurant, then dancing to hits from the Eighties with friends. Then nachspiel with more dancing before falling into sleep dreaming about something nice.
X: How do you spend your day off?
T: I am a restless person, but Japanese massage would have been nice – and I would love a stay in a room at the top floor in hotel with many floors.
X: If you’d become Prime Minister in Norway, what’s the first thing you’d change?
T: I would have done like Robin Hood.
X: What’s your favourite book?
T: “The wind up bird chronicle” by the Japanese author Haruki Murukami.
X: You’ve got a little issue. In Eurovision, only six people are allowed on stage, but you’re with more than six. How will you solve that?
T: If we should be so lucky win the Norwegian ESC and represent Norway in ESC we just let two of the members stay at home. We are aware of this and are prepared.
X: Your song has made quite an impression in the fandom. Especially the line The streets of Moscow, with my girlfriend has received quite a reaction. Did you ever expect such reactions?
T: The song is a about feelings we all have – love, longing and anger when somebody harm us.
ESC has a history of being open minded, and this is also what makes ESC interesting. What would ESC be without diversity? Without Conchita Würst, Dana International, Verka Serduchka – “Dancing Lasha Tumbai”, Zdob şi Zdub – “So Lucky”, Buranovskiye Babushki – “Party For Everybody”. Who wants the world of ESC to be straight and boring? And yes, we expected reactions because it’s a really good line, if I might say so myself 🙂
I make songs I can sing with my heart– and for me it would be totally weird to sing “The streets of Moscow with my boyfriend”. I don’t have a boyfriend – I have a wife.
Love does not do any harm. Love is beautiful, and it is also a reason for living. I hope for everyone to experience love.
We’d like to thank Tonje for her time to answer our questions and we’d like to wish her, The Hungry Hearts and Lisa Dillan the best of luck in tonight’s Melodi Grand Prix. Check out the official video for ‘Laika’ below!
