In the history of the Eurovision Song Contest, there was never a father and son act, and Joe & Richard Micallef have sent in a bid for the Malta Eurovision Song Contest, and hoping to be the first ones. Their entry “Song For Dad” has made it to the finals.

We had a pleasure to chat with Joe and Richard Micallef, get to know them better and find out more about their entry “Song For Dad”. Check out everything they told us right here in this interview:

Hello guys! First of all thank you for your time for doing this interview, and congratulations for making it to the Finals of MESC! How did you feel when you found out that you are one of the finalists?

Richard: When we first found out that we made it to the finals , I was extremely happy as I know first hand what it means to be on the MESC stage. It is the best musical platform we have in Malta and to be able to experience and share that stage in the Mesc finals with my Dad is just simply amazing.

How did you decide to enter a song together this year?

My dad payed me a visit one morning last year which is a frequent thing as we are neighbors and as dad put on the kettle, I grabbed the guitar and started playing “Song For Dad”. At this point my dad had never heard the song and after I finished he asked “I like this song …is it a new song?” I answered by stating it’s a song that I wrote for me and him to try our luck for MESC. He quickly said..”oh no, why don’t you sing it with your sister or brother. Eurovision doesn’t want to see a 70 years old on stage” I answered “No way, it’s either you and me or nothing” and with a little convincing… here we are!!!!

Can you tell us more about the story of the song, and the team who worked on it?

The story is a personal song between father and son obviously. It reflects the relationship I have with my dad. I wrote and composed the song myself then approached local Producer Cyprian to produce the track and give us a fresh and current sound.

How are you getting ready for the night of the final?

We are both focusing on the vocals of the song by practicing as frequently as we can.

How do you plan your stage performance to look like?

As far as stage performance goes we are not going to be doing a fancy dance routine, we will be keeping it simple and just enjoying the beautiful experience together. Our aim is to create a family and friendly atmosphere on stage and try our best to give the audience a good warm feeling inside. Not many father and sons have had the privilege to have this chance to perform together on the MESC stage so we both intend to enjoy every second of it.

What do you usually do when you are not singing?

When dad is not singing he is a very busy man as he keeps active in his pension years. He could be recording a song in his home studio, or spending time in his community radio station n Rabat or even babysitting his grandchildren, his schedule is quite tight. As for myself I also have a lot going on with a baby on the way and a wedding to plan with by beautiful wife to be Raisa. Then there is also writing and recording new songs which is a never ending story for me as it’s something I enjoy dearly.

Why should you be the ones to represent Malta in Lisbon?

We should be the ones to represent Malta in Lisbon if we manage to win the votes of the jury and public ?

The competition is on a very high level this year. But which is that one act that you think is your biggest competition to win?

I think that all the songs in the final have an equal right to have a chance to win as you can never say what the jury and public would go for. In my experience, it doesn’t matter how much YouTube views you have, it also doesn’t matter how popular an artist is, what matters most to me is those three minutes on stage, doing your upmost best so that maybe you can win the hearts of the public. Rehearsal week gives everyone a better indication to which songs stand out more then others.

Are you currently involved in any other projects?

Musically I try my best to stay very active as that is what makes me very happy. So to answer your question, musical projects are always on the go… from recording new music to writing new music to rehearsing and performing with my band Firelight, to performing as a solo, to collaborating with other performers/ songwriters / DJs, to organizing gigs for charity, etc etc. I try to always keep busy with music if you catch my drift, and the same goes for my dad with his own musical activities.

We also have a couple of questions for you just to get to know you a little bit better. What would be your favorite book?

We both don’t read much sorry.

Favorite movie?

Richard: Shaw Shank Redemption

Joe: Mary Poppins

Your own signature dish?

Richard: Roast beef with Yorkshire puddings

Joe: Minestrone soup

In a movie about your life, who would be playing you?

Richard: Gordon Bonello

Joe: Brad Pitt

What would you bring to a desert island?

Richard: A fully loaded speed boat

Joe: Craziness

Favorite taste of ice-cream?

Both: Vanilla

Your ideal duet partner would be…?

Richard: Joe

Joe: Richard

The last song you listened to was…?

Both: “Song For Dad” (over and over again due to rehearsals)

Favorite Eurovision winning song?

Richard: ABBA’s “Waterloo”

Joe: “Rock’n’roll Kids” by Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan.

The song you heard and wished it was yours instead?

Richard: “Il kugin giljan”

Joe: “Finally”

Thank you very much for your time, and we wish you the very best of luck at the MESC Final!

Give a listen to Joe and Richard Micallef’s entry “Song For Dad” right here:

If Richard and Joe are your own personal favorites in this year’s Malta Eurovision Song Contest, make sure you cast your vote for them in our poll here: