Sam Battle, better known by his stage name Look Mum No Computer, will step onto the Eurovision stage in Vienna on Saturday, carrying the UK’s hopes in the 70th edition of the contest. He will perform his electro-pop anthem Eins, Zwei, Drei against 24 other countries, less than a month after becoming a father to his son Max.
For his sister, Jodie Bartle, the moment still feels hard to take in. She said she was “absolutely bursting with pride” and that her brother had always been destined for something big, even if she never expected it to be Eurovision. “Sam's always been destined for something massive, and I'm so happy that he's finally been given the opportunity for the world to see how unbelievably talented he is as an individual,” she said.
Battle, who was born Sam Bartle before changing his name, grew up in Yaxley near Peterborough and started gigging in Cambridgeshire in the 2000s. Early in his career, he played across the county as a solo act and with the bands Yellow Snow and Zibra, while Introducing helped put him on the radar. He later attracted attention for the unusual electronic instruments he creates, including one that combines organ pipes with dozens of Furby toys and old handheld Game Boy consoles.
The path to Vienna has been quick. Battle said it took about 12 hours to write the song he will perform, and he is arriving at the final just weeks after his baby son was born. Bartle said that detail made the achievement feel even bigger, saying his five-week-old baby will one day be able to say, “my dad's done Eurovision.”
Battle said he will “try my hardest for the UK, for me and my mates and family,” and Bartle said the family is proud of him no matter what happens. She said she just wants him to enjoy the experience, adding that the song is good enough to get points and that she hopes the world agrees. For a musician who built a name on homemade electronics and local gigs, Saturday now becomes the biggest test of his career, and the answer to whether that gamble can land on the grandest stage is about to arrive in Vienna.
