Our editor Matt spoke to Tribe Friday who’ll be competing in this year’s Melodifestivalen.

Hi guys. Congratulations on being chosen for Melodifestivalen! How did you first get into music?

Robin: Thanks. Oh, we’ve always been into music.

Noah: Yeah, we were all emo/alternative kids growing up. Music has been a central part of my life since as long as I can remember. Kind of like how cooking brings some families together, music has been the thing that binds mine. And as a teen in a small Swedish town, playing in bands was pretty much the only thing to live for.

Isak: As for me, I just started banging on pots and pans as a kid and it all sort of went downhill from there.

How did you guys first meet?

Isak: At sweaty post-gig parties and questionable clubs. Actually, the first time I hung out with Noah, I ended up tattooing his foot. There’s an amazing picture somewhere of Noah with a bottle of wine in one hand and me on the other side giving him a stick n’ poke.

Noah: I hope no one finds that picture… Yeah but honestly, I kind of stole Robin and Isak from their previous bands. I have no regrets.

Robin: I knew Noah from parties and club shows around Örebro (a city in Sweden) where we live. One night at a party he just sort of leaned over my shoulder and whispered “hey – want to join Tribe Friday?”. The rest is history, as they say.

What’s your Melodifestivalen song about?

Noah: It’s about.. a first date, I suppose? Or falling for someone too quickly for all the wrong reasons. An unusually happy topic for us.

What inspired you when writing the song?

Noah: That roots-y garage feeling of bands like The Kooks, I think. And The Beatles! But we were also fresh back home from a tour, which usually results in a lot of inspiration.

Isak: We wrote the thing on acoustic guitars in our kitchen! It took about an hour..

Noah: Ah yes, a side note: we live together in a house in the woods. So that’s where “shut me up” (and all other tunes from our upcoming debut record) was written.

What’s your favourite Eurovision song?

Noah: Oh man.. I gotta go with Ukraine’s song from last year – “Shum” by Go_A. Shit slaps.

Isak: On the theme of songs from last year – “10 Years” by Daði og Gagnamagnið.

Robin: “Hard Rock Hallelujah” by Lordi…

What’s your favourite song from Sweden?

Noah: I have too many, hahaha. “Dom Sa!” by Veronica Maggio is a current fave though.

Isak: “Sömnlös i Skåne” by Timbuktu. It’s a bop.

Robin: “Kärleken Väntar” by Kent.

Thanks for talking to us guys. Wishing you the very best in the Melodifestivalen!