Electric Fields has been announced as Australia’s entry at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024, to be held in Malmö, Sweden.
The electronic pop duo, Zaachariaha Fielding (vocalist) and Michael Ross (producer/keyboardist), are breaking barriers in more ways than one, as the first duo to represent the country and the first to sing in an Aboriginal language on the Eurovision stage.
“We are buzzed with euphoria at our chance to share this music with the world,” the duo said.
“Our music comes from the deepest place in both of us and Eurovision is the most exciting opportunity to bring together our cultures and share the joy of our global connection.”
The 68th Eurovision Song Contest will be held from 8-11 May and will be broadcast on SBS and SBS On Demand. Source: Supplied / Nick Wilson
Now lead vocalist, Zaachariaha Fielding and producer/keyboardist, Michael Ross say they are more ready than ever.
“We’re ready to just to enjoy,” said Fielding.
“And that word [enjoy] keeps coming up a lot, but this is a once-in-a-lifetime moment for Electric Fields and for our careers.
"It really just makes you want to just pat yourself on the back because you’re being appreciated for who you are and what you sound like and the way you look at the world through music.”
Their entry, One Milkali (One Blood), is a dance track buoyed by Fielding’s soaring and soulful vocal prowess and grounded by the inclusion of language from his homelands - Yankunytjatjara language.
“[It] feels really good having Yankunytjatjara language represent Australia for Eurovision,” Fielding, who hails from the Mimili community in South Australia told NITV.
“It’s one of Australia’s oldest languages. It’s not just a word, milkali, it’s the way we gave its intention, it’s a melody and it’s a beautiful sound that can go onto the global stage and be part of the opportunity of a global choir.
"That’s how I look at the Eurovision, is that we’re coming in with a note and a tone, with just one song and we’re wanting to contribute and it happens to also have one of Australia’s oldest languages in it.”
The song’s central message couldn’t be more fitting for Eurovision this year where the motto from 2023 and beyond will be: united by music.
“The Eurovision stage is the perfect stage for One Milkali because they speak of the essence of unity, the oneness,” said Fielding.
The pair remained tight-lipped about what their performance might look like, but did say there could be some hints in the lyric video for the song, released today.
“It’s really nice to experience the magnitude of all the players that nobody gets to really see to be a part of it, and everybody is just killing it at the moment and we’re learning what we are as a power through our song that represents our people here in Australia.”
“You can see the lyrics play out and see Zaachariaha and I feeling the energy of the piece of art that we’ve created to share with the global garden,” said Ross.
Looking to Sweden, Australia’s duo are most excited to be a part of the spectacle that is Eurovision.
“I want to see what the energy feels like, what the atmosphere will feel like of the people entertaining the globe and 180 million people, I want to be a part of the crazy circus … I want to feel what that feels like.”
Ross adds: “Like Serena Williams winning a grand slam.”
On experiencing Sweden, Ross is looking forward to being in a country known as a hub of modern pop music.
“Sweden is the very humble centre of pop music,” said Ross. "Most of the hits we hear from Adele, Taylor Swift, all of these singers since Britney Spears and before, they all go over to Sweden and write and produce their music, so to be [somewhere] the pop culture is so strong is exciting,” said Ross.
“That's not the be all and end all, but it is conversation of a modern world in a way.
"We make a song popular if we want to hear that idea, and if we want to share that idea we press play.”
Above all else, Electric Fields is proud to be sharing their music and message from Mimili all the way to pop music's world stage in Malmö.
"I'm just very proud, I'm very excited," said Fielding.
"What an experience and how far it can take you and open up other opportunities and this is one of them."
