Getting To Know: Erika Severyns

Embark on a melodic journey with "Ireland," a song by Erika Severens that unfolds the dreams of an ideal life. Penned during a sojourn in Berlin with ger ex-partner, the inspiration struck during a visit to his parents in Ireland. Amidst the emerald landscapes, a sense of safety and tranquility enveloped us, a respite from months of restlessness. Conversations about moving to Ireland sparked, prompting a reflection on the reasons we had left our homelands. A shared longing emerged—to return, to reconnect with family, and to cease the perpetual uprooting.

This dreamy folk composition, delicately arranged and deeply vulnerable, captures the essence of that introspective moment. Its honest and relatable lyrics echo the timeliness of Ireland's current landscape marked by mass emigration. Featuring a nylon string, a pianet, and ethereal string arrangements, "Ireland" serves as the poignant opening chapter of her debut album, "Places We Stay." Produced and mixed by Gareth Quinn Redmond, renowned for his work with artists like Junior Brother, Ye Vagabonds, and Glen Hansard, the album was recorded and mastered in Warsaw, Poland, under the skilled hands of Albert Karch.

1. Can you share more about the inspiration behind your song "Ireland"? What specific experiences or emotions led you to write thisdreamy and delicate folk song?

I was living in Berlin with my ex-partner when I wrote this song. We had just visited his family in Ireland and came back thinking about how nice it would be to live near one of our families. So much of my life has been about pushing myself to do new things and to move to new places, and I suppose when I was writing 'Ireland', I was asking myself why. I was thinking about whether I could still go back to a place that feels like home or if I should have left in the first place.

2. The lyrics of "Ireland" suggest a strong personal connection to thecountry. How did your visit to Ireland influence the song, and how did it impact your thoughts about home and family?

My partner was Irish, so it was the visit to his family that inspired all these thoughts, but in the way life works out, I am now living in Ireland by myself. We relocated together but ended up going our separate ways, and I have found my community in Limerick. Now, Ireland feels like home, and I've fallen in love with the music and the culture. In Dublin, I met Gareth, who ended up producing my album, and I'm performing with incredibly talented musicians and wonderful people. I can't really picture myself living anywhere else anytime soon, but in a way, I still am a backpacker, so I will always entertain the idea of other places.

3. The song features a unique blend of instruments and floaty string arrangements. Could you talk about the musical choices you made in arranging "Ireland" and how those choices contribute to the overall atmosphere of the song?

The credit for the arrangement goes to Gareth. When I brought the song to him, it was just my voice and the guitar. I always pictured lush strings on this song, but Gareth really wanted to keep 'Ireland' from becoming oversentimental and predictable, so there was a lot of experimenting, and this song was a bit of a headwreck for a while.

Eventually, he came up with the pianet line that made the rest of the arrangement fall into place. Albert Karch, who played the drums, is also an incredibly sensitive musician and really felt into this song.

4. Your description mentions that the lyrics are timely in Ireland's current climate of mass emigration. How do you see your song resonating with the current societal and cultural context in Ireland?

Some of my closest friends are moving to Canada soon, and it feels like every other Irishman under 30 is currently in Australia. Young people keep leaving the country because of the housing crisis, the rising cost of living, and the obvious lack of the government doing anything about anything. It can be disheartening to watch people leave and be the one to stay, I'm not used to that dynamic. In the song, I talk about leaving home and missing it and trying to build something

new and not knowing why or how. I think that's what a lot of the Irish abroad are going through.

5. Your debut album, "Places We Stay," was produced and mixed by Gareth Quinn Redmond, known for his work with various artists. How did this collaboration come about, and how did his input shape the final version of "Ireland"?

It was a series of chance encounters that led to us working together.Apart from working with brilliant musicians, like Ye Vagabonds or Glen Hansard, Gareth is also a talented ambient musician who releases his own music. I had listened to his album 'Umcheol' and fallen in love with it. I had previously worked with other producers and not felt understood musically, but when I listened to Gareth's blend of folk and ambient elements, I thought that he could help me do something original and beautiful. When I first met him, it was through a mutual friend over some pints at The Big Romance in Dublin, but it was really after he ended up at a house concert I played that we got in touch. I sent him voice memos of a few songs that I thought would make a nice EP and asked if he wanted to produce it. We ended up exchanging long voice messages over Christmas last year with all our ideas, and it was so exciting to be working with someone so involved and creative.

6. Your folky songs are compared to the likes of Joni Mitchell and other blonde female songwriters. Can you share more about your artistic influences and how they have influenced your songwriting style, particularly in creating the honest and relatable lyrics found in "Ireland"?

I value plain, honest songwriting. Music taste is subjective, but I've always preferred detailed descriptions to metaphors. I listened to Joni Mitchell a lot when I was younger but now, I'm a huge fan of Lisa O'Neill and Lankum. There are a lot of interesting folk acts coming out of Ireland right now. I also think a lot of what I know about writing comes from my reading - I love Louise Glück, Hollie McNish,and Charly Cox. They're all different poets, but similar in how brave

and vulnerable they are. That's how I want to come across, too.