Eurovision

Marie Klåpbakken: “It feels easier to communicate in my own language.” [Interview]

Just before the procedings of the evening truly kick off, here’s one more interview from Norway! We spoke to the girl with the violin, the girl singing in Norwegian: it’s Marie Klåpbakken! Read what she had to say below!
escXtra.com: Hey Marie! Thanks for doing this interview! How are you preparing for MGP 2015?
Marie Klåpbakken: Thank you, it is very nice to be asked.
I prepare for MGP with Bikram yoga, kickboxing and singing lessons for vocal strength. But in the end I just try to enjoy this adventure properly.
X: Could you introduce yourself and your music?
M: I am a 29 year old girl from a lovely valley called Gudbrandsdalen in the middle of Norway.
I started with classical violin at the age of 11 but switched to folkmusic when I started on highschool. In 2012 I finished my masters degree from the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo, and the same year I released my debut album “framtida” which means “The future”. I got amazing reviews, and NRK P1 listed three of my singles. This album has more elements from my background in folkmusic, and my new sound is more modern pop. I like both, but right now I enjoy the power in different landscapes around the songs, and with using more drums and synth to make it bigger is really fun!
X: Who are your musical idols?
M: A difficult question since I like almost everything! When I was a child nobody could compete to Secret Garden and Annbjørg Lien, I was seriously their biggest fan. They were the main reason I started playing violin. Right now I’m listening a lot on Lykke Li and Sofia Karlsson.
X: Why did you decide to apply for MGP 2015?
M: I never dreamed or thought that I could be relevant for melody grand prix before my record company MER came with the proposal after they had a meeting with the MGP committee. I really wanted to participate, but was also a little scared. It took some time before I dared to say yes, and now I’m really looking forward to this adventure!
X: We’ve heard your song Ta Meg Tilbake now. What can you tell us about it?
M: The song is about longing back to the innocent, it is powerful but also vulnerable. I have a solo part in the middle where I play the violin but let the rest be a secret! 😉
X: You also play the violin. The combination of pop and violins turned out to be rather successful for Norway in 2009. Can you do that again? 😉
M: Haha, Do I really dare to hope? It would be amazing to present our beautiful country in Vienna.
X: You’re one of the few people who decided to sing in Norwegian. Why?
M: It is natural for me to sing in Norwegian. I’ve never written a whole song in English, and I feels easier to communicate in my own language.
X: What’s your favourite place in Norway?
M: Norway is a beautiful country, but I think my favourite place is up in the mountains where Im from.
<strong>X: What’s your favourite thing to eat or drink?
</strong>M: I'm very easy to please and my favourite meal is Italian pizza, if you give me an Asian beer beside I'm 100% satisfied :-)
<strong>X: Are you a Eurovision fan?
</strong>M: I watch Eurovision finals and really like the variations of the artist and light/show/sound/camera productions.
<strong>X: What’s your all-time favourite Eurovision song?
</strong>M: When it comes to my favourite song I need to say Loreen with Euphoria. I am a huge fan of Loreen, and I
ve actually used that song a lot with my electrical fiddle. It is a big hit on closed events.
X: Finally, do you have a message for the readers of escXtra.com?
M: I want to thank the readers who wanted to get to know me a little better. And hope that they will continue to follow me into the MGP adventure. Perhaps we’ll meet in Vienna!
escXtra.com would like to thank Marie Klåpbakken for her time and we’d like to wish her the best of luck in tonight’s Melodi Grand Prix! Listen to her song, Ta Meg Tilbake, below!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXgwKrXURR4

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