Eurovision 2024 | “Everything in my life inspires me to write”, reveals Isaak from Germany (Interview)

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He never thought about competing for Eurovision, but now he’s on the biggest music stage in the world. We spoke to Isaak, Germany’s representative, at Eurovision 2024.

Summary:

Issak was a street musician before hitting the Eurovision stage, showing the artist’s determination;
“I think that everything in my life inspires me to write, but I don’t know exactly what it is. At that moment when I’m writing I just feel and look for strings, melodies and we build some instrumentation.”;
“I was strongly influenced by a Eurovision song, in fact, that represented Germany: from Mat Mutze“.

From street musician to the stage Eurovision 2024, Isaak is a living example that dreams should be pursued tirelessly. As Germany’s representative in Malmö with “Always On The Run”, Isaak presents an autobiographical song that addresses his challenges in dealing with attention deficit. The song tells her story, and offers a powerful message of perseverance and determination for anyone who feels wronged or hidden.

From playing at weddings to competing in Factor X from Germany, Isaak faced several obstacles in his career. We would need to go back to when there was just 12 years old and decided to venture out as a street musician. Fueled by a deep passion for music, he early honed his skills on instruments such as guitar, piano, ukulele and drums. During this time, he not only developed his unmistakable voice, which resonates deeply with audiences, but also became a true stage actor. He knows how to dominate his presence with a chilling voice, among the best we will hear at Eurovision.

In addition to being a talented artist, Isaac He is a dedicated father to his wife and two children. He is a homebody, as he chats in his living room with instruments behind him. His experiences as a street musician have shaped his art, providing him with a genuine connection to the more soulful side of music. More than just fame, he seeks Eurovision to be a stage where his voice resonates for his audience and for others who are willing to go beyond radio songs. After all, there is always music to discover, considering the countless platforms we can listen to.

Interview with Isaac

MHD: How did you find inspiration for “Always on the Run”?

Isaak: When I write a song I’m not always thinking about what’s happening to me today and tomorrow I decide to write it. I think that everything in my life inspires me to write, but I don’t know exactly what it is. At that moment when I’m writing I just feel and look for strings, melodies and we build some instrumentation. When we have it, we sit down and listen to what was done. We listen and understand how a reflection can begin, that is, what memories come to me. What feelings and emotions are these… I try to put something on paper from there. And every time I write it’s like this.

MHD: What can we expect from your performance on the Eurovision stage?

Isaak: You know what people will see at Eurovision will be me. I think there will be some surprises, but nothing wardrobe related. I want people to see me. I don’t want them to think ‘what happened to Isaak?’. We changed some things on stage. We’re going to have a lot of fire and we also had to change the music.

I was already thinking change the music for the final in Germany, but unfortunately we missed the deadline. This is because the original song is 3 minutes and 30 seconds long and we had to cut the song to just 3 minutes. I wanted to change some things to celebrate some parts, to allow for more dynamism. We made the change after the final and we have some dramatic moments, but halfway through we have the verse beat! I hope people like it.

Isaak on the Eurovision 2024 stage © Alma Bengtsson / EBU

MHD: Could you tell me the most surprising thing that happened to you during this journey to Eurovision, especially when you think about the fan support and events like the Eurovision pre-parties?

Isaac: I think the most surprising thing that happened to me was an interview I had to give in a very small plane and I was flying it myself! Regarding the pre-parties, it was the fact that I realized that Eurovision, the event and the circle of fans are completely crazy! I saw the pre-parties and I saw the people in front of the stage. Before the artists took the stage, a DJ was already playing music from other years and fans knew the lyrics by heart, even for non-English songs. Not just the chorus, versions… all parts of the song. Spanish, Italian, French, German… they could sing it all! I’ve never seen anything like this. You already knew the lyrics to this year’s songs!

MHD: Do you have any admiration for songs that appeared at Eurovision in the past and that influenced you in some way?

Isaac: Clear! No doubt. I was strongly influenced by a Eurovision song, in fact, which represented Germany: from Mat Mutze. It’s a kind of German pop-jazz that I really admire. I’ve played this song countless times at weddings and at so many concerts! From then on, I started to explore other world artists, such as Jason Martz. I think he’s the artist who has touched me the most.

MHD: And did you play on the street? It must be the most magical feeling ever.

Isaac: And is! You just need to have your instruments, you don’t need to tell anyone anything nor do you need to organize anything. You just need to grab your things and go out. You build everything directly on site in 5 to 10 minutes, where no one recognizes you. In just a few minutes you will see people who will recognize the song and want to listen to it. Those who are not sincerely interested move on. Therefore, in front of you are only the people who really appreciate what you are doing. They are people who really love what you do. I always have a good time when I’m playing music in the streets.

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MHD: Eurovision has fans and has pre-parties… But it is still not a contest whose songs are often played on the radio. How is Eurovision different from other music competitions?

Isaac: Firstly, I think Eurovision is the best music competition ever. I recognize that competitions here in Germany are often about singing. You don’t need extraordinary artistic production for your stage performance. In Germany you just need to know how to sing. At Eurovision there is room for everything! You don’t need to be pretty, you don’t need to dress well… It doesn’t even matter if you can sing or not. There are many countries that participate in Eurovision with artists that you listen to, but it would be almost impossible to compare them to the biggest artists in the world, such as Beyoncé or others. There are many people who are doing art in the rawest way. I think Eurovision offers us that.

The songs can even be played on the radio… It may not happen in all countries, but I believe that more and more countries will make people listen to the songs Eurovision songs. Radio is a medium in itself. Not playing on the radio doesn’t mean the song isn’t good. In Germany and on many radio stations in Europe, there are many rules… The song has to be clean and has to capture the listener’s attention in just 30 seconds. You have to hold on! In Germany, little German music is broadcast. Good music doesn’t need to be on the radio, because there are ways to promote your song, whether through the internet, social media or podcasts. Radio is an extraordinary platform, but we need to go further.

MHD: I would like to know what advice you would give to artists who are afraid of expressing themselves or leaving their comfort zone.

Isaac: When I write songs I don’t think about the genre or the concept that the song should fit into. I want to be open to creativity, without blocks. When I think about what suits the song best, I’ll be happy at the end of the day. Anything can happen during the process of writing a song. I just don’t know what the best way to achieve a goal like the one you mention will be, but I’ve always tried to follow what was most logical to me. I don’t feel brave or anything. It was just what made sense to me. That makes sense to me and the rest doesn’t. My inner voice has always worked this way. I learned to listen to my inner voice as much as possible.

MHD: Thank you very much!