Songwriter boosted by Eurovision success

Songwriter Karl Broderick is hot in demand today after his sizzling lyrics were chosen for this year’s Eurovision bid.

The Dubliner was delighted after a brother-and-sister duo ensured the song ‘Love?’ would compete for a place in this year’s pop fest.

The 33-year-old, who first began writing songs when he was 14, said record companies have already been calling after Donna McCaul, 20, and her brother Joseph, 17, set Dublin’s Helix Theatre bopping at the weekend.

“I’ve got exactly what I wanted out of this competition already, everything else is a bonus,” he said.

Viewers of ‘You’re A Star’ talent competition to pick this year’s Eurovision entry voted for the brother and sister team from Athlone singing ‘Love?’ to represent Ireland in the semi-finals.

Broderick said he really hopes the pair make it through the semi-finals of the Eurovision song contest on May 19 in Kiev in the Ukraine to make the actual event.

“It does exactly what it says on the tin,” he said. “It is a tailor-made Eurovision song.”

Broderick said: “I was incredibly calm for days beforehand, up to then I was nervous as I wanted it so badly.”

His lyrics were one of the three songs chosen from thousands to battle it out in the television competition.

The songwriter said the siblings nailed the song on stage on Saturday and Sunday night to win.

“From the moment they opened I was blown away. Donna and Joseph shone,” he added. “I’m delighted for them I can’t think of two nicer people.”

Broderick said people were telling him ‘Love?’, which took him just five-days to write and record, was certain to scoop the other act, Co Wexford-based group Jade, in the national television vote.

“People kept sending me texts to say congrats in advance,” he said. “But I had myself prepared in case it didn’t happen.”

For the last 10 years the songwriter has been concentrating his efforts on the stage, writing pantos at Dublin’s Liberty Hall Theatre.

However, Broderick said: “I only started going into the recording studio around a year and a half ago.”

And he only just made the deadline for the Eurovision songwriting contest after hand delivering his entry.

Broderick said the producers of the show and the panel told him that several of the talent competition contestants would have been suited to sing his up-tempo song.

The songwriter said he has stockpiled hundreds of songs over the years.

“I want people to hear my songs and I have a better opportunity of people listening to songs written by me, this week than last week,” he said.

Broderick has already won the Nivita International song competition in 2002 with ‘I Swear’ and ‘These Hands’ took home third prize for Ireland at the fifth Cairo Song contest in January of this year.

The songwriter is already headed for the recording studio again, with 17-year-old Sinead Mulvey, who reached the final eight in ‘You’re A Star’.

The pair, who have worked together in pantos for several years, are going to record a pop demo.