Interview - Carys Jeffrey Evans

Firstly, (without giving too much away) why should you represent the United Kingdom in Bulgaria next year?

The UK is back on its streak of losing big at Eurovision, and I think this is partially due to the UK public not feeling emotionally connected to our entry each year. Enter me: Carys, the People's Princess of Eurovision 2027! If I win enough people's hearts with my earnest and can-do attitude, then surely we can collectively peer pressure the BBC into letting this happen!

We love the Eurovision Song Contest (having been fortunate to see the contest in Lisbon, Liverpool, Malmo, Basle and Vienna. I am old enough to remember the famous 1974 contest. What is your first Eurovision memory?

Funnily enough, I talk about this in the show! I was raised mainly in the US and only moved back to the UK about 8 years ago when I was 21. From that point, I had a vague concept of Eurovision, but my first real introduction ended up being the Eurovision film with Will Ferrell in 2020. It became a bit of a comfort film for me during lockdown, and from there I couldn't wait to get to experience my first real contest post-Covid. 

I really think my enthusiasm and optimism for the UK's part in the contest is due to being a more recent fan, though. I remember being so ride-or-die for Sam Ryder in 2022, despite all my friends telling me, "Yeah it is actually a good song, but it just won't do well because the UK just never does well." For me, Sam Ryder wasn't the outlier in an otherwise decade-long awful streak, but instead the shining example of what the UK are capable of!

What does the Eurovision Song contest mean to you?

Authenticity, artistry, camaraderie, and the height of camp.

It’s easy to just think of Eurovision as a silly little song contest, and in many ways it is. But it’s also so much more than that. Eurovision was created in part to help repair and reunite a broken Europe after World War II. I strongly believe that 70 years later, Eurovision has opened all of our eyes to cultures, styles, and points of view that many people otherwise may not have been exposed to. Learning more about each other through song and storytelling allows us to gain greater empathy and compassion for one another. 

Now, 3 questions about you favourite Eurovision songs.

What is your favourite winning song? ( Mine is Come What May by Vicki Leandros)

Euphoria by Loreen. It transcended Eurovision to somehow reach the playlists of 15-year-olds in Atlanta, Georgia at the time (even though we didn't know its origins)! Even today, it's still a banger.

What is your favourite UK entry? (Mine is Beg, Steal or Borrow by the New Seekers)

I have to say Spaceman by Sam Ryder. The emotional connection that I - and much of the British public - have for that song aside, four years on and it's still an absolute tune.

What is your favourite non-winning song? (Mine is Go A - Shum).

I have so, so many, but one that has really stuck with me since the first time I heard it is "Hold Me Closer" by Cornelia Jakobs, Sweden 2022. So much so that I'm even singing it in my show! 

If by any chance you are not selected to represent the UK next year , who would you like it to be?

If it can't be me, then I think we need to focus more on the vibe and the style of what we do want to represent us. The UK has such a wide diversity of sound and style in our music scene that we never seem to properly harness when it comes to Eurovision. I would absolutely love to see a Grime artist, or something properly rock or folk. We stepped out of our pop comfort zone with Look Mum No Computer this year, and I personally loved it. Just because it didn't quite hit the right note this time doesn't mean we should retreat back into forgettable pop!

What is your karaoke song of choice?

Fairytale of New York, every day of the year. I will sing both parts if required.

Your show is at 15.05 pm. How do you plan to pace your day and your entire run?

This is my plan...we'll see if it actually plays out this way! 

Wake up around 8am (dependent on how late I get in the night before)

Eat a good breakfast, get washed up, do my vocal exercises, maybe do some stretching, drink lots of water

Get ready for the day and select an outfit to flyer in (I have made a few different outfits inspired by iconic Eurovision costumes which I plan to flyer in throughout my run. We'll see how recognisable they end up being!)

Get into town about 11am/noon depending on how ticket sales are looking that day and begin to flyer 

Make sure I eat something for lunch!

Get to my venue about 20/30 minutes beforehand and take a few good deep breaths, check in on my vocal cords and make sure all is feeling good

15:00 - set up for the show 

15:05 - SHOWTIME

16:01 - aaaand relax

After my show ends is what I want to use as my own time to really enjoy being in Edinburgh this month. If I have any friends or family, I'll probably grab a pint with them at this point, but otherwise I want to see as many other shows as I can whilst I'm here! I've been a punter at the Fringe for the past three years in a row, I absolutely love it. 

Stay out to soak it all in...but not so late as to not be at my best for my show the following day ;)

Rinse and repeat!

Tell us something we need to know about you?

Audiences are going to learn a lot about me during this show (and, not to brag but, I have a lot of lore). But here's the gist: I'm quite earnest, I have a lot of big dreams, and whatever accent you're expecting me to have - think again!

The United Kingdom is currently in a heatwave (though not necessarily Edinburgh} how are coping?

The day I arrived up in Scotland, I got to see rain for the first time in what feels like months! I am not the kind of person who thrives in the heat, so this summer has been a bit of a struggle for me. I'm a big 'close all the curtains, get the fans going, and burp the house first thing in the morning' kind of gal. If I have to be outside, you best believe I'm reapplying SPF 50 and wearing all linen and a big hat to keep out of the sun! 

If we meet up I owe you a drink, What is your tipple?

Either a glass or fizz or a spicy marg - depending on the venue!

Thanks to Carys for taking the time out to answer our questions, if you want to see if she can make it to Eurovision her show is on at Theatre3 at theSpace@Surgeons Hall until August 22nd.

https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/carys-should-be-the-uk-s-next-eurovision-entry