Facts: Marcus & Martinus
Ten-year-old twins Marcus and Martinus won the Norwegian equivalent of Lilla Melodifestivalen in 2012. Their song “Elektrisk” became a big hit and led to a breakthrough in Sweden as well, where they played at the Globe in Stockholm and for Crown Princess Victoria in Borgholm on her birthday in 2017.
In 2017, the duo was named artist of the year at the Norwegian Grammy Awards and the following year toured with Jason Derulo in Europe.
The path to a more adult artistic career for Marcus & Martinus goes through Sweden. After shaking off the child star look, the two 20-year-olds from Trofors have been in “Allsång på Skansen”, won “Masked singer” and will now be in Melodifestivalen.
They sing the song “Air” in the third competition in Lidköping tonight.
— For us, it’s a lot about timing, what felt right for us. We are on a Swedish record label, our PR agency is Swedish and so is our management. We only work in Sweden, says Marcus Gunnarsen.
“If we win, it’s a Swedish victory,” says Marcus & Martinus. An honor
For them, it is undramatic to compete for Sweden and they say they have not encountered much criticism from compatriots in social media.
— We don’t think much about it. We think it is an honor to be a part of it and there are certainly some angry Norwegians, of course, but we have received several messages that they are proud of us, says Marcus Gunnarsen.
— It is not a war. It’s a music competition where the best song wins. Swedes have been involved in writing and producing, so it’s a song made in Sweden.
Swedish flag
TT: But if you were to win and go to Eurovision, would you wave Norwegian or Swedish flags?
— It’s a Swedish song. We compete for Sweden, so it’s a Swedish victory if we win, says Martinus Gunnarsen.
It has been just over ten years since they won the Norwegian Lilla Melodifestivalen and then became a phenomenon not only in the Nordic countries but in large parts of Europe. Now Marcus & Martinus will show a more grown-up side.
– We want to make music that is more modern than what we have done so far, but that still fits in Mello, says Marcus Gunnarsen.
The pandemic created a natural break for Marcus & Martinus. Later this spring, more new music will be released and then a longer European tour awaits.
Music history is full of examples of artists and groups that have failed to retain fans when they have grown up and acquired a tougher image. Marcus & Martinus want to hurry slowly.
— When you get older, you can’t take too big a step, because we don’t want to lose too many fans either, so you have to do a mix. We will play new songs, but keep the old classics as well, says Marcus Gunnarsen.
Marcus and Martinus hit like child stars. Here in a picture from 2017.
TT: What do you think when you look back on the crazy years when you broke through?
– We have learned a lot. After all, we started very young and didn’t really know what we were doing when we were small. We lived for the moment and had fun, says Martinus Gunnarsen.
— We didn’t know it would last this long. Two years maybe, we thought, but it just kept getting longer. It has been a fantastic journey, says Marcus Gunnarsen.