ESCbubble has had the chance to talk to Swingers, participants in this year’s Croatian national final for the Eurovision Song Contest. The band is quite experienced as they’ve been active for more than 20 years! They will perform FUL KUL at Dora 2025.

Hi guys! Thank you very much for chatting with us ahead of Dora 2025!

Can you tell us about you? What music style defines your music?

Swingers have been going strong for 25 years! We recently celebrated a quarter of a century with a big concert in Croatia’s capital, Zagreb. Over the years, we have performed in 10 countries and even represented Croatia at the UEFA European Championship in Switzerland as part of an EBU event.

We have shared the stage with the legendary Gipsy Kings, spent 20 years as a resident band at a prestigious hotel in Munich, and won two Porin awards – Croatia’s equivalent of the Grammy.

With eight albums behind us, our sound is deeply rooted in the rock’n’roll of the ‘50s and ‘60s, and we rarely stray from that era. However, we make sure our production stays fresh and modern to appeal to today’s listeners while keeping the spirit of classic rock alive!

What made you submit a song for the Croatian national selection as a band? Had any of you already tried to take part in the contest in previous years?

I’ve been playing in bands my whole life –  I am a band guy, and that’s where I feel most comfortable. After all, we have been around for a long time and have a recognizable name in Croatia, so it made sense for us to apply for DORA as a band. No, I had never thought about applying for DORA before.

How was the process of selecting the song? Why do you think your entry is the best for Eurovision?

Last year, as a band, we won a Porin –  Croatia’s equivalent of the Grammy – for an album featuring covers of songs by legendary Croatian artists. That is when I decided it was time to write an all-original album for Swingers.

When I started writing, the song “FUL KUL (FULL COOL)” stood out to me because of its theme. It’s an ironic take on modern times, where influencers have become the spiritual leaders of today’s civilization. On top of that, the chorus felt really catchy, so I decided to submit it for the competition.

I have already told many local media outlets – I do not see us as potential winners. We’re here to have fun, put on a great show, and introduce ourselves to a wider audience. Winning isn’t our goal!

What were your first thoughts when you got the news you were among the finalists of Dora 2025? Did you expect it?

Honestly, I didn’t think much about it because the decision was made in December, which is an extremely busy time for me. I actually found out about it while filming a TV show. At first, I was thrilled, but there wasn’t really time to celebrate – work kept pulling me in other directions.

What do your family and friends think about your participation in the Croatian national selection?

They are all excited, even more than me, so I am glad for them that we are participating in DORA.

How are you preparing your performance for Dora? Can you reveal anything about the staging?

Basically, there is no big preparation – we’ve been preparing for 25 years. We have our signature performance style and our own little choreographed moves. The key is to condense what we normally do into those three minutes on stage.

Our biggest challenge is that we’re usually a ten-member band, but the rules allow only six people on stage. That’s definitely a handicap, but we’ll do our best to make up for the missing four!

If you won the Croatian final, would you change anything from your song for Eurovision? Would you sing in English?

The problem is that if we win, then there will probably be a lot of pressure to change something. Personally, I wouldn’t change a thing. If this performance got us into Eurovision, why mess with it? That being said, we’d probably translate the song into English, especially since it already contains a lot of English words.

What did it mean to you to see your country finishing in the second place of Eurovision last year? Did it change your opinion about the contest?

I haven’t really followed Eurovision in the past – I’m more of a retro type, so it never interested me that much.

That said, Eurovision has definitely become much more musically diverse in recent years compared to what it used to be.

Do you usually watch Eurovision? What are your favorite songs from past editions?

As I mentioned, being a retro type, I haven’t really followed it. But my two all-time favorite eurosong songs are Domenico Modugno’s “Volare” in 1958 and ABBA’s “Waterloo” in 1974 🙂

Can you send a message to our readers and Eurovision fans?

Don’t be too harsh on the performers. These are all people who have spent a lot of their time, health, and money to introduce themselves to you. Support everyone, and cheer for your own!

Thank you very much for your time! Good luck!

You can vote for Swingers on our Dora 2025 polls: