Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen are the musical duo hoping to bring Eurovision glory to Finland this year.
Lampenius is known worldwide as a classical violinist who has performed with orchestras since age eight. She is also the subject of an award-winning documentary series and her autobiography, My Untamed Life.
Parkkonen rose to fame through Finland's Idols TV series, placing third in 2008. He has released several solo albums, headlined tours, and won Dancing with the Stars Finland in 2014 with professional partner Katri Mäkinen.
They are competing at this year's Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Liekinheitin," which means "flamethrower." They perform in the first semi-final in Vienna, Austria, on Tuesday.
Q&A with Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen
What should our readers know about you?
Pete: "Something interesting and funny is that we didn't know each other before the Liekinheitin project started."
Linda: "We knew of each other. When I was in the studio making the song, I told the producer that my dream collab would be Pete Parkkonen. The producer turned out to know Pete. One phone call and 24 hours later we were in the studio, and the rest is history."
Can you tell us about the inspiration and meaning behind 'Liekinheitin'?
The story behind this song is actually quite deep and sad. It is about when you get involved with someone and let them fall in love with you, but when they get too close, you turn ice cold. The protagonist in 'Liekinheitin' can either be seen as the victim of someone's behaviour or as a person who becomes addicted to other people, even when they know the relationship will never evolve. It symbolises the passion these two people are experiencing, but also the desperation that could kill you.
What would it mean to win Eurovision for Finland?
It is such an honour to have the opportunity to represent Finland. The chance of winning is something we haven't been able to fathom yet. We are so excited to perform, and the rest is up to the juries and the audience.
