Switzerland

= = =__**Lovebugs**__=

//Biography://
Switzerland has entered their leading rock band, Lovebugs, as their contestant for Eurovision 2009. With 15 years of experience playing together, 10 albums (three of which achieved number one status), and over 1000 concerts performed in Europe, the [|Lovebugs] appear to be a strong entry in this year’s competition. [|Lovebugs], based out of Basel, Switzerland, have taken on a more dance floor beat with the release of their newest album, “The Highest Heights.” Not wanting to be repetitive, the band has tweaked their sound to keep things fresh after all of these years. Taking the styles made popular in the 1980’s by the Cure, Lovebugs have modernized it to be stylistically similar to today’s popular music. While the band experimented with their sound for the new album, they didn’t want to stray too far off their usual musical path. According to the band’s biography off of their [|website], “the themes of the songs are existential, the melodies essential, the rhythms electric. No contradiction at all, simply a new departure. Welcome at the crossroad of pop, indie, disco and rock -- it's the Lovebugs.”

The band consists of 5 members: Adrian Sieber: Vocals Thomas Rechberger: Guitars Stefan Wagner: Keyboards Florian Senn: Bass Simon Ramseier: Drums

media type="youtube" key="-OE5Cww_Jx0" height="344" width="425"

//Song Information://
The Swiss rock and roll group, Lovebugs, performed the song “The Highest Heights” in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 in Moscow. Produced by Richard Rainey, Lovebugs’ tenth album, “The Highest Heights,” was written and composed by Adrian Sieber, Thomas Rechberger and Florian Senn, the members of Lovebugs. The song is written and sung in English and it talks about the thrill of climbing to the highest heights.

In the Eurovision Contest, Lovebugs used the LED screens to show audiences visual images of the song. Beginning with massive skyscrapers, the screen revealed an Alps mountain and turned into the universe at the climax. These visual images drew Lovebugs’ aspiration of standing on the highest and the biggest stage. Switzerland, Europe, and the universe as a whole seem like the places where they are dreaming of.



Ironically, while the song admires the highest heights, it expresses the fear of falling down at the same time. During the interview after the first rehearsal, Adrian Sieber, the main vocal of Lovebugs, says that the song is about “being afraid of falling down”. He adds how he feels about the song as following: “If you climb a huge stage like this...you don’t know people would like you, if people would catch you when you do your thing."

Lovebugs’ yearning and anxiety of standing on the highest heights appear not only in the lyrics, but also in the instruments. According to the band’s record company, the singer Adrian Sieber assured that “the Highest Heights brings all the bands strengths' to the point: the melody, the energy, the thriving beats, spherical guitars and keyboards and the melancholic mood". The harmony of big melodies, atmospheric sounds and hypnotic beats and the cynical voice created the “melancholic mood” and expressed the fear.

The song starts with bass; drums, guitar, keyboard joins one at a time and creates a great harmony. The vocal joins after all instruments are played together. The vocal sounds hypnotic. His voice makes you feel like floating on air. Digital effect to create an echo for the vocal makes the music even cooler. It gives a fantasy atmosphere in music. The rhythm of the song is pretty consistent in tempo. At the climax all instruments including vocal stop playing except for the bass, and the Chorus follows. Chorus encourages people to stand up and shout which is a typical feature of the rock music. The melody repeats quite a lot so it is not hard to go along with it. The best part of this song is when the music ends. Because the sound fades away at the end, it is appeared to be the Lovebugs fell from “the highest height” expecting listeners to catch them.

__[|Discography]__

 * ~ __**Album**__ ||~ __**Year Released**__ ||~ __**Hit Singles**__ ||
 * < **THE HIGHEST HEIGHTS** ||< 2009 ||< "The Highest Heights" ||
 * < **IN EVERY WAKING MOMENT** ||< 2006 ||< "Avalon (featuring Lene Marlin)" ||
 * < **NAKED** ||< 2005 ||< "Everybody Knows I Love You,"When I See You Smile" ||
 * < **13 SONGS WITH A VIEW** ||< 2003 ||< "A Love Like Tides" ||
 * < **AWAYDAYS** ||< 2001 ||< "Music Makes My World Go Round," "Coffee And Cigarettes" ||
 * < **TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT** ||< 2000 ||< "Under My Skin," "Bitter Moon" ||
 * < **LIVE VIA SATELLITE (The Radio X-Session)** ||< 1999 ||< "Fingers And Thumbs" ||
 * < **LOVEBUGS (International Edition)/(Swiss Edition)** ||< 1996/97 ||< "Starving," "Fantastic," "Marilyn," "Whirpool" ||
 * < **TART** ||< 1995 ||< "Slumber" ||
 * < **FLUFF** ||< 1994 ||< "Take Me As I Am" ||

Switzerland Eurovision Contest History:
Switzerland has traditionally done very well in the Eurovision Song Contest, finishing in 1st place twice (in 1956 and 1988) and 2nd place three times (in 1958, 1963, and 1986). Famous artists such as Celine Dion and Rainy Day have competed for the country. The history of Switzerland’s involvement, however, extends beyond the competition itself. The first Eurovision Contest was held in 1956 and took place in Lugano, Switzerland. The idea for the Eurovision Song Contest arose in Monaco at a meeting of the European Broadcasting Union in 1955. They decided that the first Eurovision Contest would take place the following year in Switzerland.

The Narrative of the Entry:
The LoveBugs have been together now for 15 years and counting. The five band members are like brothers who share the same passion for music. They have been known throughout Europe for playing in over 1000 concerts and also supporting the Rolling Stones. Throughout the 90's, the LoveBugs had little success. The albums they were producing were not hitting the charts like they wanted them to. It wasn't until their third album when they finally reached the charts at number 44. Switzerland has been entering the Eurovision Contest since 1956 and have not missed an audition since. Always being a contender, Switzerland was eliminated the last two years in the semi-finals. This year they will shoot for greatness once again with the song, "The Highest Heights". The LoveBugs, with their maturity and experience, have a good chance of leading Switzerland to victory for the first time in the last 21 years.

According to this [|website], the Lovebugs did not write "The Highest Heights" for Eurovision as it was already completed prior to their entry. They were not initially intending to compete in Eurovision, but the band was eventually persuaded to enter. Unfortunately, the Lovebugs [|lost] a spot in the semi-finals which makes this the third year in a row that Switzerland has not placed in the top 10. While Switzerland lost their chance at winning the contest, the Lovebugs have received much publicity and praise. Their song, "The Highest Heights," has been a top download on iTunes for countries such as Sweden, Finland, and Greece. This contest has certainly not been a loss for the Lovebugs as this has given them more international fame.