Kyiv’s top bar Barman Dictat, located just about a hundred meters from this year’s official Eurovision fan zone on Khreshchatyk street, has turned blue, white and red for a night on May 6. The reason? Australian Eurovision 2017 contestant Isaiah Firebrace, better known as just Isaiah, was doing a sound check of his entry song, the emotive ballad “Don’t Come Easy,” which was followed by a private party attended by Australian Eurovision fans and the country’s delegation.
The Kyiv Post caught up with the Australian singer before the sound check as he arrived wearing all black, including sunglasses.
There is both something very adult and very young about this charming 17-year-old. Isaiah definitely has achieved a lot for his age, winning X Factor Australia and releasing a debut single “It’s Gotta Be You” that made it to radio stations worldwide. Now he is on a mission to win the hearts of an even bigger audience: some 200 million people who watch Eurovision Song Contest globally.
“I think people in Australia love the… randomness of Eurovision?” Isaiah explains his country’s participation in Eurovision, which some people find surprising, “It can be so random but it can be so amazing. There are such amazing songs. I feel great representing Australia.”
Australian 2017 Eurovision Song Contest participant Isaiah Firebrace performs in the Barman Dictat bar in Kyiv on May 6. (Volodymyr Petrov)
He adds that the interest for the contest is quite high in his country.
“Eurovision has been broadcast in Australia for about 30 years and about a few million people watch it,” he says. “So now that the country is competing in it, everyone in Australia is really into it and they love it.”
Isaiah’s Eurovision entry song “Don’t Come Easy” has got a strong team behind it, with the writers being the same as of Australia’s 2016 song “Sound of Silence” that came second and won the Marcel Bezençon Composer Award for best and most original composition at Eurovision 2016.
“I think that with the staging and all the lightings, we want everyone to see the internal emotions; we want them to come to the journey: from a struggle all the way to the breakthrough,” Isaiah passionately explains his song.
A trip to Kyiv this year was not only a long-haul experience for Isaiah, but an exotic one too: Ukraine is the first European country he ever visited.
“I think Kyiv is a great place to start (exploring Europe),” he says, “It’s very green. The people are very sweet. It’s a beautiful weather and there are beautiful buildings. The food is great too: I’ve tried borscht, varenyky and… zefir?” he asks uncertainly, referring to a popular confectionary that is similar to marshmallow.
Isaiah says he is impressed with the preparation Kyiv has done for the show.
“The venue is awesome and the stage is massive as well. I think it’s the biggest arena I’ve ever sung in. I’m just feeling really excited,” he says, having had two rehearsals at Eurovision 2017 venue, the International Exhibition Center.
In the next few days, Isaiah is expecting “a lot of fun and entertainment.”
“I want to meet a lot more contestants. I’ve only met about four or five selects. And on Monday (May 8, the first semi-final dress rehearsal), when it’s the jury vote, there will be definitely a lot of good vibes in the arena,” he shares.
And if he wins?
“I’m not sure where we will be hosting it,” Isaiah laughs, “But I do feel that Australia will be too far for everyone to travel if I happen to win.”
