Austria is doubly represented at the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) in Basel this year: In addition to the local entrant JJ, the Viennese duo Abor & Tynna will compete for Germany, after winning the preliminary round "Chefsache" led by Stefan Raab. The siblings spoke with APA about their current state of mind, their expectations for the competition, and the ever-present 12 points.

Success Not Fully Realized: "I Reflected on My Life"

You were chosen with your song "Baller" as the German ESC entry over the weekend. Have you realized it yet?

Tynna: Emotionally, it took a little while for me to process it. But now I've arrived and am ready to be happy. We already have a bit of a plan and are continuing with the staging discussions. I am very confident and can finally look forward to it.

Abor: I really realized what happened yesterday or the day before and reflected on my life and my decision to follow this artistic path. I thought about how much luck must play a role to get this far. Success is when luck meets preparation. I am looking forward to the adventure. Our album "Bittersweet" is also being heard now. We worked on it for a year and a half, putting a lot of energy and time into it. In artistic professions, it's not guaranteed that your work will bear fruit.

Are you ESC fans?

Tynna: We watched it when we were a bit younger, but we didn't follow it every year. However, it is the biggest music festival in Europe. We are fans of that and think it's great, otherwise, we wouldn't participate. In that sense, it's a wonderful opportunity that we can now take advantage of.

As the German representative, you are directly in the final on May 17. Does that take some of the pressure off?

Tynna: I haven't dealt with the rules or structure of the ESC in recent years. The information that we are directly in the final is completely clear to people who follow the Song Contest - it wasn't clear to me. (laughs) I only realized it a few days ago. It was awesome news. Of course, we are happy that we can focus on working towards this performance.

Abor: And regarding the pressure: We have been told repeatedly that Germany hasn't received good placements in recent years. The bar is actually not set high. There is no pressure.

Was it ever considered to compete for Austria?

Abor: It was briefly mentioned a few years ago, but back then we didn't have a musical identity, we had never performed live. Now we have released enough music so that it's not just an ESC act, but there's more behind it.

You are competing with a German-language entry. That hasn't happened for quite some time...

Tynna: It just happened that way. We also wrote an English song for the ESC. But I am very happy now that we are competing with a German song. So far, the feedback from abroad has been very good. People are happy that Germany dares to compete with its own language again.

Abor: The point of the song is not the language, but the vocal job, which people find cool and is celebrated internationally because it's easy to sing along to. The fact that the song is also in German, without taking away from this point, is very nice.

What are your goals for Basel?

Tynna: I can only pursue one goal, not 500 at the same time. My goal now is to make the performance as awesome as possible and to sing as well as I can. A few minutes later, I will surely think: Hopefully, that's good enough to achieve a good placement. (laughs) But what happens after that is out of our hands.

How many points do you wish to receive from Austria?

Abor: I would really like to get 12 points from Austria. (laughs)

Tynna: It's hard for me to estimate. Maybe some people are dissatisfied that we, as Austrians, are now competing for Germany. However, in the history of the ESC, there are no restrictions on that. Céline Dion also competed for Switzerland. It's a celebration of music and connection. Others might find it cool. In that sense, I naturally hope for 12 points.

Your father is a member of the Vienna Philharmonic, and you both have a classical music education. How does your family view your music and participation in the Song Contest?

Tynna: Our little sister plays the violin and is our number one fan. She listens to our album over and over. Our mom is also a big fan, and dad likes the songs too. They are especially happy when we incorporate some classical elements. At first, they were a bit overwhelmed with all the attention. Our parents are very cautious and down-to-earth. When it looked like we might actually win in the final, my mom didn't know how to handle it for the first time. Of course, they also worry. All this attention also brings...

Abor: ...many people down.

Tynna: (laughs) You expressed that very dramatically! In any case, there are also negative sides. By now, our parents have realized that it's just an exciting time. They are happy with us about the success.

You are just at the beginning of your career. Are you afraid that the ESC label will stick very firmly?

Abor: I'm not worried. For many ESC acts, the production is taken over by the responsible TV stations, but they don't take care of further artist development. We have a whole team behind us that also takes care of other aspects - independent of the ESC.

Tynna: We also see from the numbers that it's not just limited to "Baller," but the album is being listened to. You can see it clearly in the ticket sales for our tour, which is coming up in September. That makes us very positive that it won't completely collapse after the ESC.

What is the ideal outcome for you on May 17?

Abor: I would like to win. Or second place if JJ wins.

Tynna: If you don't go in with this ambition, it's already a bad start. Of course, we want to go as high as possible. But if it doesn't happen, it's not the end of the world. It's an honor to participate in the ESC - something that not many musicians get to experience in their lifetime.

The pop duo Abor & Tynna consists of the Viennese siblings Attila and Tünde Bornemisza, who have been making music together for several years. In mid-February, they released their debut album "Bittersweet," which also includes the current Song Contest number "Baller." In 2024, Abor & Tynna were the support act for Nina Chuba's tour. Their father Csaba Bornemisza is a cellist with the Vienna Philharmonic.

(The interview was conducted by Christoph Griessner/APA)

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