Singer-songwriter Miles Graham has released his new song ‘Yeah We’re Gonna Get Out of It’. The track is the sixth and final song bidding to represent Ireland at Eurovision 2022. Miles is originally from Clondalkin in Dublin and is now based in Co. Sligo. Miles was a guest on Weekend Wogan on BBC Radio 2 in 2015 with the legendary broadcaster Terry Wogan. I caught up with Miles to discuss his new song ahead of The Late Late Show this Friday where the song to represent Ireland will be chosen.
“I had the song written in 2020. There was a few things supposed to happen with it. I’ve been working with a producer Justin Broad in London, and we were working on several different projects and different songs and this was one of the songs where I wrote at home. We were all on a 2k lockdown at the time. Then the kids were singing it here in the background, my young kids at home. They don’t sing all of my songs but they were singing this one. So I decided to record them. They sounded amazing and I just thought I have to record that.Then I had the guts of the song sent over to Justin and he wrote the brass trumpet on it and fully produced it. The song is called Yeah, We’re Gonna Get Out of It and… it’s about the struggles and everything that I was going through and I’m sure a lot of people, musicians, songwriters, people that work in the arts, comedians, you know, that perform on stage, feeling those struggles along with everybody else. I suppose the lyrics lend to all of that. I’ve always had an interest in The Eurovision because it’s a song competition. It’s the biggest song competition in the world. I have always had an interest in Ireland’s entries, the songs and the competition itself. So you know, I would have submitted some songs down through the years. I just thought this song [ would ] be perfect given the concept and the feeling at the time. So I submitted the song back late last year and then I got the call just before Christmas that RTE wanted me to sing it and they wanted me to perform it and they loved the song. Yeah, it was part of the six songs selected to potentially go to the Eurovision in Italy. So here I am.”
Miles’ kid’s sweet voices can be heard in the song as they sing the catchy chorus.
“They’re so excited. We are hip hop fans as well. We like a lot of soul and hip hop stuff and we would basically be all singing different songs going around the house. This is one where we just came together in the moment and recorded it and it was really fun to do. I’m so proud of them. So proud of how everything came out on the track.“
‘Yeah We’re Gonna Get Out of It’ is very different to what people would expect to hear from a Eurovision song entry. It’s an uplifting tune filled with sunny vibes and bouncy keys, jazz moments and a speckle of soul. It’s refreshing to the ears with a fun and positive vibe.
“Yeah, I agree with you. It’s fresh, I mean that for me, if you hear something that’s fresh, that’s something different. I think the competition itself The Eurovision has gotten more diverse in recent years. We had a rock band from Italy [Måneskin] win it last year. You know, there is diversity within the competition now and people would say there are certain Eurovision type songs. But you know, they might not be the ones that are winning it. So I think to have something fresh and something different is very important in a competition to be able to stand out.”
The song features a jubilant brass and trumpet solo which was played by members from Amy Winehouse’s original touring brass ensemble. Miles explained to me how that collaboration came about.
“Yeah, so Justin [Broad] and Paul [Herman] who I was working with, the producers. When they heard the demo that I sent over [with] me and the kids singing here in the house, they were like, we love this track so much and we’d love to do this, we’d love to do that. So they made the call to the guys. Ben Edwards plays the trumpet solo. Yeah, they’ve toured with Amy Winehouse. They’ve got that real soul element to what they do and they obviously bounced off the track really well as well. I’m delighted they [ came ] into the studio in London to record it. That’s one element of the song I really really love, the brass, and trumpet solo.”
Miles will perform the song on The Late Late Show on Friday, February 4th, where a winner will be chosen to progress to Turin, representing Ireland at the Eurovision Song Contest. A nerve-wracking performance that unfortunately, won’t feature his kids on stage with him.
“You always get a little bit nervous. I played the Late Late Show before in 2018. So that gives me a little bit of confidence, a bit of an edge, I suppose. I’ve got a little bit of a cold at the moment. So I’m trying to just get past that and I can hopefully, be 100%. I’m really looking forward to it, you know, just gonna enjoy it as much as I can and hopefully, the song puts a smile on people’s faces and gives that kind of positivity that I had in the room at home when I was writing and recording it with the kids. “
Props and elaborate stage setups are a big thing in The Eurovision. I wondered if Miles found it difficult deciding on what he wanted to do and how he wanted the song visually displayed on stage.
“I had an idea in my head. There are certain challenges that come in when setting up for production to be able to present something in the way you want to present it. But yeah I’m really excited about what we’ve done. I’ll leave the element of surprise for Friday night, but obviously, yeah, with the kids they can’t be on stage because Eurovision rules, they can’t be under the age of 16. There won’t be any kids on stage so we’re trying to, be able to represent them in a different way. “
Along with his bid to represent Ireland in the Eurovision, Miles told me what we can expect from him in the coming months
“ I’ve put out a song with L’Tric a dance track it went out just before Christmas called ‘She Is Gold’. So that’s out on Spotify. That’s actually written about my sister. Keep it all in the family, you know. Yeah, I’m loving that song at the moment. I have a live date in London in The Grace on the sixth of May and I’m hoping to get a couple of gigs here maybe March, April as well. So yeah, we’ll see how things go with the competition, but win or lose on Friday, I just hope people get behind the song. Because I think it’s a special song and it deserves people to hear it and just get the good vibe out there, that’s what we all need”
Miles Graham has been steadily perfecting his craft. The result is a sound that reflects his versatility as an artist. ‘Yeah We’re Gonna Get Out of It’ is a fine example of this and showcases his natural charm and passionate musicianship.
Miles will be performing ‘Yeah We’re Gonna Get Out of It’ on The Late Late Show this Friday make sure to check it out. Until then you can stream the song below
Author: Danu
