The Euro Trip Interviews: Zoe from Austria!

Earlier this month our own Elliot Harris had the chance to chat with Austria's entry for Eurovision 2016, the lovely Zoe from Austria.

Here's what she had to say, and as you'll be able to tell - she's very excited about Stockholm!

So Zoe, you competed in the Austrian selection in 2015, what made want to come back in 2016 and when was the decision made?

Zoe: Last year, I never would have thought to come that far in the contest , and when I almost was chosen to represent Austria I finally realised how close I was to my dream, so I immediately made the decision to work hard and try out again the following year. When you really believe in something you must fight and work for it. I will always stand up and follow my dreams no matter what comes in my way.

Your song - Loin D'ici is a beautiful and sweet song, but do you have any personal connection or similarities to the song and it's message?

Zoe: I wrote the song together with my father so of course I have a strong connection with it. The song is about an imaginary paradise , a place where you feel happy ,for me it is being on stage , but the great thing is that everybody has his own interpretation. What we would love to achieve with the music is to make feel good when listening to the song, I would love to spread the love and energy I feel while singing my song.

What direction are you going to take your Eurovision performance from where it was at in Austria?

Zoe: The main things that will be different for the Eurovision , are the background and the dress , but we're still working on all the changes , so nothing is definite for now :) What I can tell you is that I'll be alone on stage , no dancers will be with me , and the background singers will stand on the stage.

Carrying on with the live performance, whose idea was it for the moving background and how did that come about?

Zoe: My father and I had the idea of a yellow-submarine-like background, something very retro. Sadly we were not able to do that for the national finals but we will certainly try our best to apply the idea for the semi-finals and hopefully the final :)

A lot of people on social media across Europe say your outfit in Vienna looked like a princess or a video game damsel, is your style going to stay the same for Stockholm or have you got new ideas?

Zoe: The style is going to change , but we're still looking for the perfect dress that will fit with the song and also for the big stage in Stockholm!

What is your background in music and how did and when did you decide singing in French would be your style and staple and which artists inspired you to become a singer/songwriter?

Zoe: My father is a musician and has had a band for 20 years, so I've always been surrounded with music, and I always dreamed of writing music and performing with him . My father and I , we've both been in a French school and for that matter learned French at a very young age . When my dad and I first tried to write music together , I started singing in French, it was just by coincidence , I think I just came home from school and the language was still stuck in my head.  Somehow it felt natural to me , I really felt confident and good with the language and so we decided to write French lyrics :) I could never pick out a few  artists that inspired me , because inspiration is everywhere, music simply inspires me every day.

Do you have any favourite Eurovision songs from years gone by?

Zoe: I loved Euphoria from Loreen, and I loved Mans performance from last year and of course Conchita will always be the queen of Austria ;)

And finally, what are you personally hoping to achieve at Eurovision?

Zoe: I will work hard and put love in everything I do, I think that all of the contestants will do that, so I can just do my best and hope for the best. Of course I would love to reach the final ... but we'll see in May :)

Thank you for your time Zoe and good luck in Stockholm!

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