Eurovision National Selection Finalists. What is known about the favorites of the competition – the band Ziferblat.

The band Ziferblat, formed in 2015, reached the finals of the National Selection-2025. The group, with its unique sound and bright style, is respected among fans of modern Ukrainian music.

“Gromadske” details the band's creativity and their competition song.

Who is Ziferblat

The band Ziferblat was founded by Danilo Leshchynskyi (vocalist) and Valentyn Leshchynskyi (guitarist). Later, drummer Fedir Khodakov joined them.

In 2017, Ziferblat released their debut album “Kinosyans”. Two years later, the band presented the single “At Night” on the “X-Factor” show.

“TV shows help you grow and allow you to express yourself. This is very important for a musician,” Fedir Khodakov noted in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.

In 2022, the band participated in the National Selection but did not make it to the finals. However, this did not stop them from actively growing. In 2023, they released a single album “Disco-Funk Therapy” with 13 tracks. In September of that year, Ziferblat received the Muzvar Awards in the category of “Best New Names in Alternative Music”.

In 2024, the band reached the finals of the National Selection for Eurovision. Their competition song “Place I Call Home”, dedicated to Ukrainians who left their homes due to the war, earned them second place.

“We want to get to Eurovision primarily from a childhood dream. We also wanted to pay more attention to the topic of Ukraine in a more serious way, like Jamala,” Valentyn Leshchynskyi noted about the plans for Eurovision-2025.

The song Bird of Pray and chances of winning

Ziferblat submitted the song “Bird of Pray” for the National Selection. According to bookmakers, they have the highest chances of winning with a coefficient of 1.95.

According to Valentyn Leshchynskyi, the song “Bird of Pray” expresses the idea of freedom and hope for a bright future.

“This song talks about freedom, the cycle of life, and hope for a happy future. It is a kind of reflection and journey that reflects all my feelings that have arisen in me since 2022,” Valentyn Leshchynskyi added.

According to Valentyn Leshchynskyi, the song has a simple idea - resilience and love for the homeland that cannot be taken away. The message also speaks of the fact that after dark times, light always comes.

The music video director is Illia Dutsyk, who will take the viewers into two parallel realities. The first is memories of a home that exists only in memory and evokes sadness and joy. The second is the search for a home and its acceptance through a symbolic movement in space.

“If we win the National Selection, it will be the realization of our childhood dream. A little boy from Klavdiievo near Kyiv, sitting in front of the television and watching Tina Karol's performances at Eurovision, dreamed of trying it himself,” Danilo Leshchynskyi noted.

The final of the National Selection for Eurovision-2025 will take place on February 8, 2025, where viewers and the jury will determine the artist who will represent Ukraine at the competition in Switzerland. The band Ziferblat will perform under the ninth number.

Voting for the participants of the National Selection will be available via “Diia” and through SMS.