Steve Inkeep, Host:
Daniel Estrin will be competing in the Eurovision Song Contest this week.
Michelle Martin, host:
No, I’m not NPR’s Middle East correspondent.
INSKEEP: No?
Martin: We are talking – no.
Storage: Okay.
Martin: The lead singer of the metal band Voyager.
INSKEEP: Daniel Estrin and his band are representing Australia in the contest.
Martin: So it turns out Steve, Daniel and Daniel met a long time ago.
Daniel Estrin, signed: Hi, hi.
Daniel Estrin: Hello, hello, hello. Is this Daniel Estrin?
Estrin: This is. Is this Daniel Estrin?
Estrin (Voyager): I think so.
Estrin: Let’s sort this out. We have already decided that the proper plural form of our name is…
Estrin (Voyager): I think it’s Daniels Estrin.
Estrin: Yes. Like Attorney General Daniels Estrin.
Estrin (Voyager): There’s no other way to say it.
Estrin: There are actually three Daniels Estrins. He is the lead guitarist for the American band Hoobastank.
(Sound bite for the song “THE REASON”)
Hoobastank: (singing) I’m not perfect.
Estrin (Voyager): We have an American journalist. that’s me
(Soundbite from archived NPR broadcast)
Layla Fadel: NPR’s Daniel Estrin joined us from Tel Aviv to speak to protesters. Good morning, Daniel.
Estrin: Good morning, Layla.
And you are an Australian metal musician.
(Sound bite for the song “DREAMER”)
Voyager: (singing) And I had nowhere to go, nowhere to be. No one to help you fall asleep.
Estrin: Shouldn’t we tell you how we got to know each other?
Estrin (Voyager): Yes. Well, I think we got to know each other with the wrong e-mail address. The email address was mostly correct, but not complete.
Estrin: So I replied and said, you’re wrong Daniel Estrin. i am a journalist
Estrin (Voyager): I don’t think you knew of my existence at the time.
Estrin: Unfortunately it didn’t, but that’s how I got to know you.
(Sound bite for the song “DREAMER”)
Voyager: (singing) Tonight.
Estrin: You were going to visit your sister, who is a professor in Jerusalem, and we went out for coffee. I was very nervous before meeting you. Because what do I have in common with this Australian metal rocker with half his head almost shaved and the other half flowing down his back? Because I thought that. And Tel Aviv hosted Eurovision a few years ago, and you — you came back and we were watching the show together. it was fun. Have you ever dreamed of standing on that stage someday?
Estrin (Voyager): I mean, that’s what I’ve been thinking all my life. Because I grew up with Eurovision and am a big fan of the whole competition. absolutely. When I was there in 2019, watching that stage progress, one day I will stand on this stage too.
(Sound bite of the song “PROMISE”)
Voyager: (singing) Have you ever done anything like this before? Have you ever done anything like this before?
Estrin: Tell us about the song your band, Voyager, is planning to play at Eurovision.
Estrin (Voyager): It’s called a “promise.” And this song, lyrically, is about the chaos we see in today’s world, it’s getting more and more chaotic, and sometimes we have to find someone or something and tell you I’m singing that I’m sure you’ll be fine.
(Sound bite of the song “PROMISE”)
Voyager: (singing) I’m with you. Promise me you’ll be okay – Promise me you’ll be okay
Estrin: Do you know the other Daniel Estrin I mentioned earlier, the lead guitarist in the band Hoobastank?
(Sound bite for the song “THE REASON”)
Hoobastank: (singing) I found a reason.
Estrin (Voyager): Well, it was a dream to bring all of Daniels Estrin together. So yes, of course I will. I mean, he’s so famous that I hope one day he can combine these three powers. God knows what we can achieve.
Estrin: Daniel Estrin, that day is today.
Estrin (travelling): What?
Estrin: Dan Estrin from Hoobastank.
Daniel Estrin: What’s wrong?
Estrin (Voyager): No way.
Estrin (Hoobastank): Hi Daniel Estrin. This is Daniel Estrin from America.
Estrin (Voyager): This is amazing.
Estrin: This is the historic Daniel Estrin Summit, folks.
Estryn (Voyager): This is amazing. Hi.
Estrin: This is the first time we’ve all spoken.
Estrin (Hoobastank): What’s wrong?
Estrin: Hello Daniel.
Estrin (traveling): Hello Daniel.
Estrin: Can you guys be mistaken for each other or for me?
Estryn (Voyager): Oh. I mean, I’ve been there many times, but I didn’t know that they also do radio. cool. However, the accent is slightly different. So I can understand that. it’s great.
Estrin (Hoobastank): Tagged in your photo…
Estrin (Voyager): Oh (laughs).
Estrin (Hoobastank): …like Voyager. yes. For example, a fan of yours just recently posted a photo of you from last week on their story, and I was tagged in that photo. And I’m thrilled with it.
Estrin (Voyager): That sounds great. It makes me very happy. It’s very funny.
Estrin: Dan, do you have any advice for our friend Danny about making it big at Eurovision?
ESTRIN (HOOBASTANK): From what I’ve heard, musically it’s very catchy. It’s a sick song. I was – I used to hear that a lot.
(Sound bite of the song “PROMISE”)
Voyager: (singing) I’m here tonight. Promise me you’ll hold me until the day I die.
Estrin (Hoobastank): My only advice is to just keep going. keep doing what you love. keep writing music. And it sounds terrible. Well, that song is really cool.
(Sound bite of the song “PROMISE”)
Voyager: (singing) Promise me you’ll be fine.
ESTRIN (HOOBASTANK): When the band starts, the arm hair goes up a little bit. I don’t know, dude I’m digging
(Sound bite of Voyager song “PROMISE”)
Estrin (Hoobastank): If you hadn’t talked to Daniel NPR, you probably thought Danny and the Voyager faction were kind of like, oh, Hoobastank. It’s — to be honest, it’s kind of in my head, you know? Somebody’s clowning us or we’re this band famous for this ballad-ish song and god maybe he just thinks we are – my first feeling That’s how I felt. But after that, when I got a call from Daniel, I thought, Probably not. He’s probably super dope and cool, so let’s do this.
Estrin (Voyager): I’m a little disappointed that people thought this was a parody. i respect your work I think it’s amazing. It’s one of the hardest things in the world to write a song that would be such a big hit and literally penetrate everyone’s zeitgeist. Well, then, I’m looking forward to working with you. Please continue what you are doing now. You are a wonderful person and I look forward to meeting you someday.
Estrin (Hoobastank): Same guy. This was great.
Estrin: What did it mean to you to talk to two other people named Daniel Estrin?
Estrin (Voyager): To me, it’s incredible how wonderful the connections are between humans, and how incredibly close and inseparable we all really are. And please forgive me that the motto of this year’s Eurovision is to unite through music. That’s literally who we are. It’s not very metal to be all positive and lovey-dovey, but that’s the message for me and it means a lot that this happened today. It’s just weird and wonderful.
Estrin (Hoobastank): Exactly.
Estrin: Can I go sing a few bars as a backing singer for Voyager’s “Promise”?
Estrin (Voyager): Right. absolutely.
Extrin: Okay.
(singing) Have you ever done this before?
Estrin (Hoobastank): (singing) Have you ever done something like this before?
(Sound bite of the song “PROMISE”)
Voyager: (singing) If you’ve never done anything like this before, you’re not alive.
Estrin: You think you should go on tour someday, right?
Estrin (Hoobastank): Yes.
Estrin (Voyager): What shall we call ourselves?
Estrin: Well, it could be Daniel and Estrin.
Estrin (Voyager): Very good.
Estrin (Hoobastank): Wow. Ready? Daniel Estrin, NPR News.
Estrin (Voyager): Daniel Estrin, NPR News.
Estrin: Daniel Estrin, NPR News.
Martin: Daniel Estrin and Daniel Estrin will be rooting for Daniel Estrin at Eurovision this week.
INSKEEP: (laughter) And for the first time ever, viewers around the world will be able to vote for their favorite song.
Martin: Can I vote?
INSKEEP: Well, we’re going to be fair, but we all know who we’re for.
Martin: But we all know. Yes, we all know.
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