The first heat of Supernova takes place this weekend, and we were lucky enough to catch up with Edgars Kreilis, one of the favourites to win this year’s competition and become the Latvian representative in Lisbon.

Edgars will be competing in the first heat with his song ‘Younger Days’ , a song with a very strong message and some deep personal reflection from his own childhood.  We asked him about the song, about his preparations following last year’s Supernova (when he competed with ‘We Are Angels’) and his thoughts on the Eurovision Song Contest in general.  You can see our interview right here:

Congratulations on making the shortlist for Supernova again this year, Edgars.  Fans will remember you from last year’s competition when you performed ‘We Are Angels’, how was that experience for you and what made you want to return to the competition this year?

Actually that was a very good experience for me, especially for the start of my career.  But my goal last year was to introduce myself  to the audience and to top producers.  This year I hope to get to the final, and most importantly to take the win.  I know that some people seek fame, or experience (like me last year), but this year I am looking to make a change.

You can watch last year’s performance here:

What have you been up to since that performance 12 months ago?, and did you get those new opportunities as a result of being in the competition?

No doubt!, the experience I gained was really great.  I finished 6th in Latvia’s X-factor and I had my first tour around Latvia.  I released seven new songs, and I’m now working on an album and back in Supernova.  Let’s see what the new year will bring!

You wrote your song ‘Younger Days’ yourself, can you share with us a little about the message within the song and what it means to you?

This song was written based on my childhood memories and I have found out since that domestic violence in families has grown.  With my song ‘Younger Days’  I want to build awareness of this, because based on my experience I know how it is to feel fear and pain when your parents fight.  It’s actually a sad story, but it is happening everywhere.  Although you may not harm the kids directly, it doesn’t mean that you won’t create scars in their hearts.  Some kids in these circumstances are going off the track and starting to use alcohol, cigarettes and drugs at a young age.  But is it worth it? I don’t think so.  We all need to understand that if children are our future, then let’s make it a bright one by changing our actions towards them.

You have a lot of experience now of performing on big stages in competitions, through Supernova and X-factor.  Do you think this will give you extra confidence or any advantage?

Not sure about advantage but certainly more confidence.  You never know what people will want and what they will like and so you still need plenty of luck to succeed.

There has been a lot of positive feedback on the song since it was released, and this must please you.  What is more important to you, having a big hit in Latvia, or having that chance to represent your country at Eurovision?

For me it is that opportunity to represent Latvia in Lisbon that motivates me the most, because a chance like that can change your life by a full 180 degrees.  At the moment I work two jobs, with music being more of a hobby – that’s why an opportunity like this can give me all that I wish for, and yeah, I am ready for it!

Are you a big fan of Eurovision yourself, are there any artists that have particularly inspired you?

The first time I watched Eurovision was ten years ago.  I haven’t watched it every year, but my mom does and so I’m always used to hearing Eurovision songs in the background.  My favourite entries have been from Sweden, especially Måns Zelmerlow and Robin Bengtsson.  I also really liked Amir from France.  They were awesome and a true inspiration.

And finally, do you have a message for our readers?

Of course I do!, First of all, whatever you do and who ever you are I wish you an awesome and great new year.  Secondly thank you for showing us musicians the love and support that you give – it really means a lot to us.  There is a quote – ‘You get what you give’ and that’s why I want to send you love aswell and I wish you all the best!

You can listen to ‘Younger Days’ here, and don’t forget to follow the show on Saturday evening. We will, of course, be sharing a live blog, so do join us!

And there is still time to vote in our poll for the Supernova to let us know which songs are your favourite!