Getting an interview with Mikolas was a lesson in what can best be summed up with “that’s right, we got older and we haven’t done this for year”. We went straight to the interview rooms from the airport and signed up on a waiting list with a bossy guy that looked like Vladimir Putin’s life guard. There were loads of other fans pretending to be journalists there, waiting for their turn, and we took it for granted that they all were waiting for Mikolas. But as the excitement grew, everyone kept talking about Latvia and we felt slightly panicked. Luckily Czech Republic’s dishy head of press showed up to get us out the backdoor and save the situation, as talking to some Brazilian/Latvian chick about her spinal discs, camels and the content of her backpack could have been awkward.
When we finally sat down, it turned out Apple’s Siri knew how dirty this conversation would go and refused to record it in the name of GDPR. But luckily Mikolas opted in as our personal assistant and recorded it for us. Thank God for the tech savvy kids of today. Long story about unprofessionalism short, we managed to get a good talk while dishy guy were looking over our shoulders and it went a bit like this:
– So, Mikolas, how sick are you of talking about your spinal discs by now?
– Oh, not at all, go ahead.
– No, seriously. So not interested in those parts of your body. But we heard you like playing in the street?
– Yes! I like this subject so much better than my health. I started right after my modeling era. I was doing a lot of jobs at that time, even as a house constructor. Then I thought it was time for me to start making money with music and I knew that I needed to learn how to lose my stage freight, which was my biggest fear. I needed to be a little bit hard on myself, and so I grabbed my guitar and went somewhere far away from my country where people didn’t know me, like Oslo, Norway.
– I don’t think my Norwegian experience was the best because I was still learning how to do it, but after that I spent a year constantly traveling around Europe in the weekends when I didn’t have school and sometimes it was perfect and sometimes it was not. After all, it was in the street.
– And what did the street teach you?
– I think whoever wants to be a performer one day, should benefit from playing in the street. It teaches you the respect a performer should have towards the people and it is also a great way to learn how to communicate with the people. After all you play to people who don’t give a slightest damn who you are and if they stop and listen to you, then well done. If you can do that, then the stage is easy for you. You learn how the audience responds to different tracks.
– Do you miss it?
– Kind of. I haven’t done it in Lisbon, but I was thinking maybe one day I could pull out my guitar and just get back into it. But there are a few things I don’t miss. Maybe I wasn’t so smart, but I didn’t do it in a legal way and had no idea if it was allowed while I was playing, so I was always looking over my shoulder. So there’s a lot of stress involved.
– Ah, that’s nice and dirty. Dishy guy here told you we are from Norway, right? Did we manage to treat you well while you were hanging around in Karl Johan illegally?
– Yes! It was the first time a girl approached me in the street! She threw me her phone number!
– Man, we didn’t know you could do that! Is she the one your lyrics is based on?
– No no! She was sweet. I have nothing bad to say to her. Sadly, there was no Norwegian experience like the one in “Lie to me”.
– Still not too late for that, hon. But rest assured, we’re not done talking about your lyrics. What’s the story? Is it based on a personal experience?
– I think it is kind of obvious. Both me and a couple of my friends experienced that a girlfriend found another partner who was their friend. I like to leave things up to people’s imagination.
– Er, sorry. Imagination? You are pretty explicit!
– Yes, it is. But I don’t want to be talking down a person. This is just me getting things of my chest and looking at something serious in a positive way.
– Have you written about sex before?
– No, my previous lyrics were carrying heavy topics, sociophobic topics and political messages. I felt like easing up and doing something fun that I could enjoy.
– Yeah, sex is definitely enjoyable. And important, right?
– Yeah. The song is sexual, but it is also about getting stronger from a position when someone has weakened you. It’s like: “You wanna lie to me? Come on! Lie to me! Have a piece of me!”
– Yes, please. What’s the story about your backpack?
– It will all be explained after what happens on the blue carpet.
– Whaat? Never have backpacks been more interesting! You are from the Czech Republic, who haven’t exactly excelled in Eurovision. But now it’s looking good for you. Do you feel the love from your country?
– Yes, Eurovision is changing in Czech Republic. The people were voting like crazy after we reintroduced the national final, and ever since then the general interest has been growing. I feel a lot of support. And the pressure is motivational.
