“I never imagined having two songs in the Swiss Eurovision final”, says Alejandro. And no wonder: at 25, Alejandro has only been making music for around seven years. For him, both the Eurovision Song Contest and the songwriting camp were entirely new experiences. It was also the first time that he had written songs in collaboration with other composers and lyricists – which made him all the more proud of his success. “Before coming to the camp, I didn’t think I’d have so much to contribute to the process”, he admits.
It was a great experience for the young songwriter: “I was able to share my perspective and my way of working”, he says. “I also gained a lot from the others at the same time – both positive and not-so-positive feedback that helped me grow as a songwriter.” What particularly struck Alejandro about the songwriting camp was the experience of working together with other songwriters, most of whom he had never met before, for just one day. “There was something really unique and authentic that came out of the collaboration – it really captured a moment in time.”
Alejandro was able to choose which of two songs he co-wrote he wanted to perform: “Compass” or “Kiss Me”. He chose “Compass”, as he felt the song’s story resonated more, and it was a song that went very deep. “The very first lines take you to a profound, moving place. The song has a message”, says Alejandro.
He worked together with the Swiss composer and producer Lars Christen and the Canadian songwriter Laurell Barker on “Compass”. “We started with the basic mood of the song and the idea for the story”, says Alejandro, reflecting on the process of creating the song. The outline of the song came together relatively quickly.
When asked about how he writes his songs, Alejandro answered that, “The inspiration for my songs often comes from a single word.” In the case of “Compass”, he imagined someone reorienting themselves – with a compass. And it’s clear where Alejandro Reyes’ own compass is pointing him: towards the Eurovision Song Contest final 2018!
