Tomas N’evergreen: “I wouldn’t recommend anyone to participate in Eurovision”

In 2010, Denmark’s Tomas N’evergreen and Chanée won over Europe with their Eurovision song “In A Moment Like This”. They earned the first two 12 points of the night, and ultimately finished fourth—bringing Denmark into the Top 5 for the first time since 2001. Since then Tomas has shed his stage name “N’evergreen” and taken Russia by storm. He recently collaborated with Kazakh artists A-Studio in Copenhagen, resulting in the fantastic track “Falling For You.” Tomas recently spoke with William Cahill, a wiwiblogger in Ireland, about his recent collaborations, how he made it big in Russia and his future plans.

Hello Tomas, thanks for squeezing us in. Why have you dropped N’evergreen from your name?

Névergreen is my artist name, my real name is Christiansen.

We love your latest video and single “Falling For You”. How did your collaboration with A-Studio come about and what was your favourite bit about working with them?

A-Studio have been my friends since I came to Russia the first time. They are great musicians and they are my good friends. We have been talking about doing a duet for a long time. And one early morning, around a year ago, at a hotel in Astana, I met the band leader of a studio, Baigali Serkebaev, in the lobby. I was checking out, on my way to the airport, and he just came in through the front door.

A few days earlier I had had a new idea for this song I thought was something new, and I tried to play it for him on the piano in the lobby bar. I’m not the best piano player to be honest. But he liked the idea instantly and picked up how to play it on the piano and he thought it sounded like Mozart and Chuck Berry. I think that’s what tricked him. Because he has a classical conservatorial education and also loves rock n’ roll. So we recorded the song. It is a pop song but built up like a house song with tension and release.

And I love how the song came out. This mix of classical music and house and rock and pop. With references to the Beatles that both a studio and I are influenced by, but also references to Guetta and Ac/Dc and Abba which is probably more my sh*t.

On that note, you’ve become quite successful in Russia and the former Soviet Republics. Why do you think that is and why did you join that music market?

In the beginning I came to Russia because I had a hit with “Every time I see your smile” on the radios and on the music TV channels like MTV and Muz TV. And then we were invited over to Russia to do a small tour. The album was not released yet but people knew that one song. So we played it a few times at each concert. On the last day I met with a record company that was interested in releasing the album, but they felt that we needed one more hit to sell it. So I went back to Denmark and recorded “Since you been gone” which became an even bigger hit than the first single, and still is my biggest hit.

Meanwhile my friend Jam who had helped arranging the first tour had gotten me in contact with the group A Studio. And we decided to do a concert together in Moscow where we performed some of my songs and some of A Studio’s songs. And then I fell in love with their singer Polina Griffith and we were in a relationship for 2 years and then we got married — and also divorced. And there I was on my own again, but I still had my friends in Russia and my studio and concerts here, so I still kept a place here.

Has Thomas G:Son helped you writing your music at all since Eurovision in 2010?

I was just asked to sing his song in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2010 and it was fun, but I write my own songs and we have never discussed writing a song together.

How has your musical style evolved since 2010?

The music I make now is more for party people. I got tired of all these sad love songs about pain and misery. We all have problems – no need to write songs about them. It’s a big misunderstanding. My advice to song writers everywhere: You wanna talk about your f*cked up love life – go see a shrink – buy a duduk – get over it. Don’t expect people to pay you money to listen to YOUR problems. When I come to perform, I come to entertain – to make people happy – so yes, my music has changed for the better. Better, stronger, faster 🙂

Also, have you kept in contact with Chanée since ESC? Are you secretly planning any duets soon?

I don’t talk to her often. She has her own life and career now and it’s different from what I do.

Would you ever want to compete in Eurovision again, for Denmark or even for Russia?

OMG. You know I wouldn’t recommend anyone to participate in Eurovision because you can’t really compete in music. It’s just a matter of taste and politics. And even if you win – what do you really gain? Look at all the winners from the past – where are they now? But I’m probably stupid enough to go again.

Do you feel more at home in Denmark or in Russia?

It’s difficult to answer this question. Because I have my daughter and my brothers and sister and parents in Denmark, but I am always happy to come into my house in Russia after a long journey and close the door, so I suppose my home is in Russia.

Final question, what can we expect from you in the upcoming year? Tours, singles, albums?

I am on tour right now. We are preparing for a show in Pyatigorsk. I am really looking forward to going there because I read about this place in my favourite book “hero of our time” by Lermontov. I want to stand on that mountaintop in the early morning mist, and breathe in the fresh air.

Thank you so much Tomas!

Image source: ru.hellomagazine.co