Slovenia's Eurovision Song Contest entry Joker Out are widely regarded as one of the top acts of 2023.
Their impact on this year's contest has been one of radiant positivity as they celebrate their competitors while taking the time to repay the kindness they've personally received from fans. Their entry, Carpe Diem, was one of the first to be revealed from this year's playlist and hasn't wavered from being in most voters' top 10.
They recently stopped by the host city in order to film materials for their collaboration track, New Wave, with living legend Elvis Costello. On the back of their already exhausting journey, they delivered the English version of the Eurovision entry to fanfare and appreciation from fans across Europe.
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Joker Out solidified themselves as one of Slovenia's biggest bands years ago but the rest of the world is finally now hopping aboard the hype train they've potentially missed out on. Jure Maček, Kris Guštin, Jan Peteh and Nace Jordan spoke to the Liverpool ECHO about their journey but admitted they would've liked to kick things off by winning over their local fans once again.
Joker Out act as an internally selected representative which means they never had to face a national selection competition. Discussing whether or not they face added pressure to perform well, Kris said: "Yeah because people didn't directly vote for us to go.
"But on the other hand, we are one of the most popular bands in Slovenia, we had like 70 gigs last year and all of them were highly attended. We've proved ourselves over and over so it's kind of a yes, but also not really. Jan added: "The haters would be salty anyway no matter what so whatever."
Joker Out are one of the more popular entries this year with their continuous online presence and generally warm welcome to anyone that crosses their path. Their social media presence consists of hyping others up or charming back and forths that humanise the contest as a whole but also all 37 of the entries.
The European pre-parties are well underway which means there's been ample time for the acts to get to know each other in person. Discussing who the band has grown close to, Kris said: "Everyone we've met so far has been really great actually.
"We've become friends almost immediately. I think they also like our song. They like our energy and like the general vibe we give so yeah, it's been great so far. Diljá from Iceland, the guys from Piqued Jacks [San Marino] and Monika Linkytė [Lithuania] are all really cool. We love everyone."
The Croatian entry, Let 3, was brazen with their love for the boys by publicly suggesting mature activities once they met. Joker Out took their appreciation at face value and admitted they were generally thrilled to receive such a "crazy" compliment from a "legendary band."
Kris said: "We definitely heard of them and we have a kind of respect for them even though they're really crazy. The only real interaction we had with them is there them saying in an interview they wanted to do some... stuff... With us. We should bring them flowers."
When quizzed on whether or not they shared a similar appreciation for any of their competitors, Kris had a secret to share.
He added: "There's a running joke that Bojan has a crush on Noa Kirel but as of now there's not been that many developments on that one."
It's all love between this year's lineup but many fans still need a reminder to keep their criticism at bay. Recently, San Marino's national broadcaster, RTV, had to issue a statement regarding pre-party chanting that went against their act. They asked fans to continue to build each other up without tearing others apart which Joker Out are all too familiar with.
Discussing the competitiveness fans create between the acts, Jan said: "It just seems unreasonable to me. Why would you hate someone for doing what they love? [Piqued Jacks] are really great guys. They have a good song. They're great performers too so I can only speak good of them."
Kris added: "What's been chosen [to go to Eurovision] has been chosen and not much can be done about that. Better luck next year. Probably. When it comes to hate against our competitors we're really happy to stand out about things we really believe in. We will always definitely speak up if we see something."
Joker Out are without question one of Slovenia's biggest exports though their popularity in the country won't help them when it comes to the Eurovision stage. Jan said: "We didn't think [our popularity] would hurt but we didn't expect this kind of feedback. It's kind of awesome." Nace added: "Our reach is kind of limited to Slovenia which isn't really that much but it's been great to meet so many new, amazing fans.
They've teased their staging for Liverpool will build on their national performance but with a twist they've kept firmly under wraps. Kris said: "It's going to be high energy and a lot of fun but we'll be a lot closer together. That's all we'll say."
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