So, something is certainly cooking in The Netherlands. After a series of rather dubious characters jumping the Eurovision stage for not much more than an embarassing spin in the semi finals, life savers The Common Linnets flew directly inn from Nashville a few years ago. That was immediately awarded, and it looks like it opened a few doors for those who care about their music and how they present it.
Enter Douwe Bob. A sharply suited, not so well behaved Dutch hunk, who’s ready to conquer the world with his decent country tune – bourbon bottle and six string in hand. We spoke to him about his rather intriguing aspirations.
– Well, you certainly seem to be huge in Holland. Tell us a bit about your career!
– I’m not sure if I’m that big. I try to be the greatest, of course. I tour a lot around Holland and I’ve had a couple of hits. I think the biggest part I have in the Dutch music scene right now is that me and the band keep somewhat of a 60s and 70s vibe to the songs we write and play. We’re bringing back some good ol’ rock ‘n roll and people seem to dig it.
– So do we, mind you. Who do you want to be when you grow up – Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, Taylor Swift or none of the above?
– For a start I am grown up, haha. Although I might never be (don’t grow up, it’s a trap). I never aspire to become or be as big as the musicians I love. I just wanna carry on being happy and playing my songs to as many people possible.
– Ever considered a role in Grease?
– NO
– We’ve heard you say that you love to play live. What can we expect from your show in Stockholm?
– Expect the best thing you’ve ever seen. Your wildest dream AND your worst nightmare. No kidding. We’re gonna have a good time.
– Now, we can’t wait for THAT to happen. In addition to Slow Down, you have written a lot of other great songs and you were recently voted the best singer-songwriter in The Netherlands. Plan on being the next Thomas G:Son? What is your songwriter trick?
– Thank you very much. I don’t have a trick. I think having tricks would get in the way of writing a song that you find beautiful (Swedish song writers, this is where you take notes, editor’s comment). I love writing and I never want to do anything else.
– Folk and country entries from The Netherlands is quite common. Is folk and country huge over there?
– Is twice very common? Common Linnets! It’s not huge here. However I do believe there is a small movement going on. People start liking the old school stuff again.
– Yeah, we didn’t acknowledge Trinjntje, either. Good boy. Speaking of…We noticed that you really wanted Anouk to hold you last year. Isn’t she a bit old for you?
– Haha. I don’t believe in age.
– That sounds…promising. Also, we saw that your father worked for The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix as an artist and a musician, which is kind of unbelievable, if we may say so. Did your papa let his baby grow up to be cowboy or did you just become one anyway?
– That’s a great question! I think he really wanted me to be one. I’m not sure if I grew up as one, though, I hope so. I love riding horses and drinking bourbon.
– So do we, hon (*Currently packing our Four Roses and riding gear for Stockholm*). Do you think it is an advantage for you as a musician to have grown up within the art and music industry?
– I think in a way it is. I grew up listening to all kinds of great music. On the other hand. If you look at all the big songwriters, they ran away from home or couldn’t deal with their parents.
– What does your father think about Eurovision?
– He loves it now that I’m in it, haha. But he comes from a totally different scene.
– How about yourself, do you like the competition even when you are not in it? What is your favorite entry of all times?
– In a way, I love it too. I really like a lot of stuff including a lot of Eurovision songs. However I do love good old music so I’m going with Johnny logan – what’s another year.
Our verdict:
Our wildest dreams AND our worst nightmares? Now, ain’t we glad this baby grew up to be a cowboy in Globen arena? Douwe doesn’t seem to be too big for his britches, but we have to say we were already kind of blown away by him during research. We mean, did you know there is a documentary about him and his equally fabulous father? We recommend watching it from about 29:03, where you get the best cover of Waylon Jennings ever seen on Dutch TV (and may we recommend that Douwe covers Johnny Logan in his next movie?)
Douwe asserts that he is going to win Eurovision this year. That is an excellent plan and we can’t wait to hear his plans for next year. Also, the fact that Douwe is welcoming both men and women of all ages for a ride while drinking bourbon is bound to make him hugely popular on the dance floor of Euro club. He claims that Anouk is his role model, but we think he can aim just a wee bit higher. Like, how about the stars?
See you in Stockholm, baby, we’ll mess around!
(All pictures ruthlessly nicked from around the Internet. Captions carefully fabricated by the GEE handywomen)
Watch Douwe Bob’s entry below:
What a lovely, not standard, well written interview!
Thank you very much, that is so nice!