Australia made it through to the final of the Eurovision Song Contest earlier this week, but their work isn’t done just yet.
The competition’s contest is hotting up, and while there is some buzz around Britain’s entry, Mae Muller, and the favourites such as Sweden and Finland, Australia could be the dark horse of the competition.
The five-piece metallers hail from Perth, Western Australia, and are perhaps playing music a little heavier than what Eurovision fans may be used to.
Looks are a little deceiving with this lovable group, however, as their prog-rock track, Promise, is a touching ballad about fighting through hard times – kind of a timeless idea, right? Well, Voyager do it with their unique metal spin.
To metal fans, Voyager are a fantastic band they might not have heard of just yet. To Eurovision fans though, they could seem a little scary. But, while speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, Voyager band members Danny Estrin, Simone Dow, Scott Kay, Alex Canion and Ash Doodkorte were keen to point out that their music is just as powerful as anyone other act’s.
“We’ve seen that a lot,” singer Danny sighed. “People saying: ‘I don’t like metal… but this is great!’ So it’s really great. Because it gives people an insight into heavy music that they may not have had before.”
And they aren’t simply pontificating here. Voyager have been a powerful touring band for over 20 years, and even have seven albums under their belts; they know what they’re talking about. And they’ve seen the effect their music has had on people all over the world.
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Danny continued: “I think [Promise] has resonated a lot with people all around. We’ve had amazing fan emails… we had one saying ‘my non-verbal autistic kid responds to this song.’ Stuff like that…” he grinned. “You can’t imagine that the song would do that … it’s translating an emotional message.”
So, if Voyager as a band is so secure, why on Earth would they sign up for Eurovision?
Drummer Ash admitted that the band “never thought” they would be able to join the fun as a metal band. But, after 20 years, you inevitably begin “chasing bigger stages and production”.
Danny chimed in: “Ask any artist: ‘Would you like to perform your song in front of, possibly, 80 million people?’ If they so no, they’re a frickin’ idiot (just joking!)”
“I’ve been a huge Eurovision fan from the get-go,” Danny went on. “And, you know, it’s cool that our worlds are kind of converging and we get to do this. It’s so super exciting.”
Despite how confident the band might be, some people perceive Eurovision to have some sort of risk to certain acts. The United Kingdom is renowned for rolling out acts to crash and burn, never to be seen again. Aren’t they worried this might happen to them?
“It’s been a tough slog, you know?” Danny went on. “We would have crashed and burned by now.”
With that – and Voyager’s incredible legacy in tow – why should the United Kingdom award Australia with the much coveted 12 points this Saturday at the Eurovision Song Contest Grand Final?
Danny mused: “I think the Brits get us – because we are quintessentially very similar in the way that we approach life. We take our music seriously, but not necessarily ourselves. And I think that’s a very British thing.”
“The self-awareness and … the camaraderie and giving yourself a bit of s**t hopefully comes across in our performance. And I think that will hopefully come across!”
He quickly added: “It’s a great song! And the UK has a great history of loving heavy music – two boxes ticked!”
“Plus,” he smirked. “We’re reasonably nice people!”
The Eurovision Song Contest Grand Final airs on BBC One on Saturday, May 13, 2023.
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