Sudden Lights confidently moves between Latvian and English in their lyrics and therefore reaches a broad audience. Eurovision Song Contest fans may already know the group.
If you are unfamiliar with the band, this is your chance to discover more about their music, ESC experience, and upcoming concerts.
Who is Sudden Lights?
The group’s four childhood friends Andrejs Reinis Zitmanis, Kārlis Matīss Zitmanis, Kārlis Vārtiņš and Mārtiņš Matīss Zemītis came together to establish the band more than ten years ago. Since then, as bandleader Andrejs Reinis Zitmanis describes, the four have created their own genre: “We have some mainstream elements but also alternative elements in our music.”
This mixture appears to function. After placing second at Supernova (the Latvian ESC Preliminary decision) in 2018, they triumphed this year and were given permission to travel to Liverpool in May. At the ESC, Sudden Lights represented their native nation of Latvia by singing their song Aijā . Sadly, it wasn’t enough to go to the championship round, and the band was ousted in the semifinals. But as Andrejs and Kārlis Matīss tell us, it was a good experience for the four of them after all: “It´s been a crazy ride. It was the most intensive period of our lives.” “There are a lot of emotions. It took a while to process those thoughts. I would say two weeks after Eurovision you start to normalize.”
The band said when asked if they would take part in this event once more that they don’t rule it out, but they also don’t push it. Andrejs: “It´s a once in a lifetime experience. I won´t say we will never do it. We enjoyed it but we have to move on.”
Kārlis Vārtiņš agrees with his colleague: “We are definetly not participating in next years Supernova. So next year we won´t be part of ESC, but after that…who knows”
Sudden Lights participated in Liverpool with a Latvian song. However, the four also compose in English which can be heard in songs like Backwards in Time, Just Fine and Eyes. There will still be more English music this year.
However, they will first release a different Latvian song on June 20. “It will be something new, kind of a symbol of us moving on from the big thing in Liverpool.”, says Andrejs
This year’s projects go beyond just the release of new music because the band will be performing at their first festivals in the summer. Further than Latvia and in Germany as well, because Sudden Lights is a part of this year’s Nordenfestival LineUp. Make sure you visit the website and purchase tickets. It is worth it!
By the way, Fanklub, where Sudden Lights are also active, is worth visiting as well.
There, the group also discussed their participation in the Eurovision Song Contest: “It is a chapter and it is closed now and we wanted to express all of our feelings because not all of them are happy feelings.” says Andrejs, which was further explained by Kārlis Matīss: “It is actually the first time we talk about Eurovision separately and as individuals.”
Numerous backstage films and other materials not available on popular networks like Instagram and TikTok are also available to fans on Fanklub.
Why did the band initially choose to take part in Fanklub?
Kārlis Matīss: “It felt natural to do something for our fans as well after they supported us so much with Eurovision”
Fanklub – A place where I can write all my emotions down
Andrejs: “I always wanted a place where I can write all my emotions down. Kind of like a blog and this is similar. The general public we have on our social media they might don´t want this kind of stuff but there are people who would like to know more. It feels good to be on there because it is more and not the just stuff you see on YouTube. It is more about us, you get to know us better.”
Kārlis Vārtiņš: “It is like a safehouse where we can express our feelings. We can be ourselves. I believe that is the most important thing about Fanklub. We are just humans.”
Fanklub gives artists the possibility to get closer to their fans: “On Instagram it is very easy to feel disconnected to people and only see them as likes. Fanklub is a place to be yourself and it is healthy sometimes to write your emotions down and post things you would not post on Instagram”
What is the band most proud of?
For Andrejs it is clearly the third album of the band, because “it was finally an album where we knew what we wanted and how to do things and how to express our emotions.”
Kārlis Matīss: “I am most proud of our tour, because it was the first tour which was not stopped by Covid.
Kārlis Vārtiņš: “I am most proud of our upcoming concert in september. It will be outside and the biggest for us”
Thanks to Andrejs Reinis Zitmanis, Kārlis Matīss Zitmanis and Kārlis Vārtiņš for the great interview!
In case you would like to see Sudden Lights live:
10/06/2023 Zeit | Līgatnē
11/06/2023 International sand sculpture festival in Jelgava
01/07/2023 Talsi City Festival
07/07/2023 Vonge Festival | Estonia
29/07/2023 Saldus saule festival
04/08/2023 Bauska Taste
05/08/2023 Summersound 2023
12/08/2023 Karkle Festival | Lithuania
02/09/2023 Latvijas mūzikas lielkoncerts
07/09/2023 Norden Festival | Germany
16/09/2023 Mežaparka Zaļajā teātrī
If you would like to get to know the band better make sure to support them on Fanklub
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