mia yermeche and chris kabs soar together with the r&b storyteller's debut single 'butterflies'

The past year may yet be remembered as a time when artists were born. Mia Yermeche is ready to make her claim to be one of them. From Bettystown, Co. Meath, Yermeche always loved writing, and always loved music. But it was only in the summer of 2020, with her final year of secondary school ahead of her, and a drastically reduced ability to go out with her friends, that she was drawn to finally bring these two elements of her life together.
 
“I’ve always loved English in school. I used to record voice notes of little musical ideas that came to me.” Yermeche explains.
 
Chris Kabs, the Irish producer - best known for his recent work on the critically acclaimed ‘2020 D|Vision’ for JyellowL - got in touch after spotting one of Yermeche’s Instagram covers. Kabs recorded and produced ‘Butterflies’ with her at TEMO Universal, Dublin, in August 2020.
 
Shimmering organ synths paint a sweetly imaginative backdrop from the outset of the track, quickly punctuated by Yermeche’s crisp vocal style. The result is a ‘hovering’ quality to the overall sound, reflective of the thrill and magic of infatuation, and the anticipation of a date - as well as of course, butterflies. All of this makes it difficult to believe that ‘Butterflies’ is, in fact, the first song that Mia Yermeche has ever written.
 
Her songwriting approach is reminiscent of the tight pop stylings of Mahalia and Kehlani, but with the sensitive authenticity of a young Alicia Keys. These elements come together to create a satisfyingly smooth pop ballad, yet with heart and depth upon repeated listens. And in the capable hands of Kabs as producer, the track’s arrangement charts a thoughtful path to the repeat button.
 
“There’s a lot of things I want to say, songs I want to release. This one is me being girly, sugar-coated, poppy,” Yermeche says about the track. “I envision someone getting ready for a night out to it, in anticipation of the day that we can all do that again.”
 
With this serving of sonic fantasy for her listeners in the meantime, Mia Yermeche seemingly effortlessly asserts herself as an R&B songwriter to watch. With a level of quality and attention to detail rarely seen on a debut, ‘Butterflies’ is the sound of an artist taking flight.