Interview with Laura Thorn

You won the Luxembourg Song Contest 2025 and will represent Luxembourg at the Eurovision Song Contest in Basel in May. How did you experience your victory at the LSC and the last few weeks?

I recently started working at the Conservatoire in Esch. So, my path was already clear to me. I wanted to start my career there. When I won the LSC, I actually reacted a bit strangely at the time because I was simply overwhelmed. Suddenly, so many questions arose. I hadn't imagined at all that I could win. I just hadn't given it much thought. And when they announced, "You've won", I thought, "Oh God, what will happen now? " At that moment, I couldn't really grasp what was actually happening around me. It was totally overwhelming!

After that, it was quiet for two weeks. That felt a bit strange to me, as I had just experienced such an intense period leading up to the LSC at the Rockhal, where I was rehearsing from morning until evening. But it also felt good to finally catch my breath. I went back to work as usual just two days after the LSC, so my life went back to normal. Then, a few weeks ago, things really took off. Since then, I haven't had a break. We've already been in Switzerland to film the music video and to Paris to re-record the song. Here in Luxembourg, too, one appointment followed another. It's been exhausting these past few weeks, but at the same time, incredibly exciting. I've just gained an immense amount of experience.

And how have your students and the Conservatoire reacted to it?

They are absolutely thrilled. I have to say, I feel very lucky to have the entire conservatory behind me – that's not something to be taken for granted. Of course, I haven't been absent in the past few weeks, but because of the ESC, I won't be there for two weeks in a row in May. And I was also away a whole week for the LSC. But the entire school management and all my colleagues support me. My director was even at the LSC at the Rockhal, and he was really my biggest fan (laughs). So I really consider myself lucky to have this full support. Also from my students and their parents – it's just fantastic!

The next few weeks and months, especially the time in Basel, will certainly be very intense. How are you preparing for the semi-final in Basel?

Not much has changed in my daily routine because I already had a healthy lifestyle before the whole LSC/ESC journey. I do a lot of sports and follow a healthy diet. And that's extremely important because as a singer, your body is your instrument. I work out every morning, but lately I've been doing a lot more cardio. I totally underestimated that at the beginning. I thought, "You've been singing for a long time, you've been dancing for a long time - so doing both together should be fine.” But it's not as easy as it seems. When you have to move so much and can't breathe regularly, you get tired very quickly. I definitely noticed that during the LSC (laughs). Now, I sing my song while running or doing jumping jacks. And I stick to my healthy diet. And when I'm not teaching or giving interviews, I try to speak as little as possible to preserve my voice.

You are entering the contest with the song "La poupée monte le son", a tribute to France Gall's 1965 ESC song "Poupée de Cire, Poupée de Son". Can you tell us what your song is about?

The song represents the evolution of the poupée since France Gall’s victory Now, the doll no longer needs to be controlled from the outside – it can act and make decisions for itself. "La poupée monte le son" – the doll turns up the sound: it has found its own strength and no longer needs to rely on anyone else. That's the message.

The ESC is a major event that brings countries and cultures together, but at the same time, it is also a competition. Have you had a chance to listen to the other participants' songs yet? Are there any that you particularly like?

Yes – well, I haven’t heard all of them yet, but I’ve listened to quite a few. A new song seems to come out every other day, so it’s hard to keep up! I have to say, I really like Greece’s entry. The song is fantastic, and the singer is incredibly talented. It’s a beautiful but also quite challenging song. I also really like Malta – they’re stirring up some debate with their entry, but I think the song is cool. It has a great vibe, with a bit of electro and dance influence. Lately, I’ve also been listening to "Espresso Macchiato" from Estonia. At first, I wasn’t a huge fan, but now I catch myself constantly singing and replaying it – it’s turning into a bit of a guilty pleasure! But right now, Greece and Malta are my top favorites. And Estonia is definitely stuck in my head (laughs).

Eurovision is not only known for its music but also for its spectacular and sometimes elaborate performances. Can you already give us a glimpse of what you're preparing?

No, unfortunately not! But of course, I can say that we had to adapt the show. For logistical reasons alone. The stage is completely different; it has a very unique format with a long T-shaped catwalk. So it's not just a standard stage – you have to interact with the space and make use of the different areas. We had to adjust the performance and choreography to highlight those spaces. And of course, we want to maintain the surprise effect. It shouldn't be exactly the same as at the LSC!

What does it mean to you to represent Luxembourg at the ESC? Is this something you have always wanted to do?

It is a huge honour for me to represent my country. I am Luxembourgish – I was born here, went to school here, and my family and friends are here. I’ve made lifelong friends in this country. After my studies, I chose to return, and now I’m living here again.

It's also something I've always wanted. Not specifically in the form of the ESC, but I’ve always dreamed of performing on a big stage and having an incredible experience like this. I just never knew what form it would take. I also applied to "The Voice" and sent in tapes to do musicals – I was always pursuing something. In the end, it turned out to be the ESC, and honestly, it’s the biggest opportunity I could have imagined. Amazing! In that sense, it’s truly a dream come true for me.

Tell us a little about how you ended up applying for the contest.

Actually, I hadn’t planned on applying this time. I had applied for last year’s edition and even submitted a song, but it didn’t work out. This time, I wasn’t going to apply at all because I had just started working and wanted to focus on that. And then in June I was contacted by the songwriters who wrote the song. It was already finished and they were looking for a singer in Luxembourg. They approached me and asked me if I was interested. And in a moment like that, you don’t say no! When an opportunity like this falls into your lap, it’s not for nothing – it’s a sign! So I said, "Okay, why not? You probably won’t get far anyway. " That’s why I was so shocked when I was announced as the winner. In the end, everything just fell into place naturally!

How did the songwriters approach you? Did you know them?

I didn't know the songwriters at all. The request via text message came from a complete stranger! They found me through my former singing teacher in Namur. I studied there for five years, and for the first three years I had a singing teacher who moved to Paris because he got a role in the musical "Starmania". Of course, he met a lot of people in the music industry there, including the songwriters. Since he had taught in Namur, which isn’t far from Luxembourg, they asked him if he knew any singers from Luxembourg. And he told them, "Yes, I had a student who lives in Luxembourg - Laura Thorn. Here's her number. " And that's how they found me. Crazy!

Can you tell us a little more about your musical background? Did you grow up with music from an early age?

I’ve always sung since I was little, that’s for sure. But I also started taking music lessons very early on. Back then, the youngest age you could register at the conservatory was eight. So I went straight into solfège lessons at that age and then started learning my first instrument, the piano, the following year. From there, more and more accumulated. I learned a second instrument, the cello, and took countless additional subjects – everything from children’s music to harmony, counterpoint, and choral conducting. All the courses you can imagine! At school, I also chose music as major subject. So it was music all the time – at school, as a hobby, constantly. And when I finished school, I went to Namur to start my music degree. I did a double master's in pop singing, i.e. modern singing, and music theory/pedagogy. After that, I returned to the conservatory, this time from the other side, which was funny at first. So, it really never stopped for me. But it couldn’t have worked out better.

So you teach at the Conservatoire in Esch and work there with many young people who are just starting out. What advice would you give to young musicians who are just beginning their journey and dream of making music professionally, maybe even participating in the ESC one day?

Well, I would definitely say that everyone should follow their dreams – that’s super important! But sometimes, you have the dream of making music professionally, and at some point, you may lose sight of it. But you tell yourself "It was always my wish, so I'll keep going. " That's why I say you should always listen to your gut feeling. For example, I always wanted to study piano, but I changed my mind at the last moment because I realized I actually wanted to sing more. Sometimes, you think it would be too complicated to change direction, but it doesn't matter! If you feel that way, you should follow it. If I had studied piano, I wouldn’t be here now. So always go with your gut, it's usually right! And try out different things. I made sure to take as many courses as possible at the conservatory from a young age. I didn’t necessarily love counterpoint and harmony, but I always thought, "This is something I can use later. This will help me." So try as much as you can, explore different paths – it impresses people, and it’s great to have a solid foundation in music. So: Il ne faut pas lâcher – never give up!