Australian Eurovision song up against UK entry co-written by an Aussie

When Jessica Mauboy gets around to revealing the choice of the song she will perform at Eurovision 2018 in Lisbon, it will be up against a UK entry that was co-written by an Australian.

UK piano-playing singer and Royal Academy of Music graduate SuRie’s (real name Susanna Cork) submission ‘Storm’ was co-penned by UK-based Queensland born 24-year-old singer songwriter, guitarist, dancer and model Nicole Blair.

Blair’s voice saw her admitted into the Queensland Young Conservatorium at Griffith University for contemporary voice at the age of 10.

By her mid-teens she was in the studio with Brisbane producer Wernher Pramschufer and performing her own songs at Queensland festivals.

In 2011, A&R of Sony Asia, Hayden Bell (The Veronicas, Savage Garden) got her signed to Swedish record label The Kennel.

She then moved to Europe, writing and recording between Stockholm and London.

The piano ballad ‘Storm’ was written with Gil Lewis and Sean Hargreaves during a day-long writing session at her London based publisher Tileyard Music.

This is not the first time that an Australian writer has been involved in a Eurovision entry by another country.

* Tony Cole wrote the UK’s 1972 entry ‘Beg, Steal or Borrow’ which was performed by The New Seekers (and included two Aussies Peter Doyle and Marty Kristian) in Edinburgh and came second.

* Frankston, Victoria-born Johnny Logan wrote the winning song for Ireland in 1992.

* Australians Craig Porteils and Cameron Giles-Webb co-wrote ‘This Is Our Night’ for Greece’s entry in 2009, Sakis Rouvas.

* Katrina Noorbergen, one time member of Sydney band Cassette Kids, later moved to Berlin and co-wrote ‘A Million Voices’ which was performed by Polina Gagarina for Russia in 2015.

She also performed as a backup vocalist during the performance.

* Singer-songwriter and producer Tonino Speciale, from Western Sydney, moved to London and, co-wrote ‘Black Smoke’ for German entrant Ann Sophie (2015) before writing for Nicky Romero and Sonny Alven on tracks that generated 15 million Spotify views each.

‘Where I Am’ was co-written by Australian songwriters Angel Tupai and Michael D’Arcy and performed by Blue Mountains, NSW-hailed Anja Nissen.

The daughter of two Danish parents, she represented Denmark in 2017.