Yonaka (stylised as YONAKA) are an English rock band based in
Brighton
Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London.
Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...
. The group consists of Theresa Jarvis on vocals, George Edwards on guitar, and Alex Crosby on bass and keyboards. Yonaka released their debut album, ''Don't Wait 'Til Tomorrow'', on 31 May 2019.
History

First EPs and ''Don't Wait 'Til Tomorrow'' (2014–19)
Yonaka performed on the
BBC Introducing
BBC Music Introducing is BBC Radio's platform supporting unsigned, undiscovered, and under-the-radar UK music talent. The backbone of that network consists of 32 BBC local radio shows on stations across England and the Channel Islands, various ...
stage at
Radio 1's Big Weekend
BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend (R1BW) (previously known as One Big Weekend, for 2012 as Radio 1's Hackney Weekend, and for 2018 as BBC Music's Biggest Weekend) is a British music festival run by BBC Radio 1. It is held once a year, in a different l ...
2016 and released their debut EP, ''Heavy'', the following year. 2018 saw the group issue two further EPs, ''Teach Me to Fight'' and ''Creature''. The title track from ''Creature'' reached the top spot of the
Kerrang! Rock Chart in December 2018.
In autumn 2018, the band went on a European tour with
Bring Me the Horizon
Bring Me the Horizon are a British Rock music, rock band, formed in Sheffield, England in 2004. The group currently consists of lead vocalist Oli Sykes, drummer Matt Nicholls, guitarist Lee Malia and bassist Matt Kean (musician), Matt Kean. T ...
and
Fever 333
Fever 333 (or the Fever 333) is an American rock band formed in Inglewood, California, in July 2017. The band was founded by former Letlive vocalist Jason Aalon Butler, former the Chariot guitarist Stephen Harrison and Night Verses drummer A ...
and in October 2018, they played a four-track session at the
BBC Maida Vale studios, during which they presented a live
mashup
Mashup may refer to:
* Mashup (culture), the rearrangement of spliced parts of musical pieces as part of a subculture
* Mashup (education), combining various forms of data and media by a teacher or student in an instructional setting
* Mashup (mus ...
of the songs "
Jumpsuit
A jumpsuit is a one-piece garment with sleeves and legs and typically without integral coverings for feet, hands or head. The original jump suit is the functional one-piece garment used by parachutists.
The original skydivers' jumpsuits were ...
" and "
Paparazzi
Paparazzi (singular form paparazzo) are independent photographers who take pictures of high-profile people, such as actors, musicians, athletes, politicians, and other celebrities who go about their daily life routines. Paparazzi are known f ...
".
"Teach Me to Fight" was used as the official theme song for the
WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...
pay-per-view event
Fastlane in March 2019 and in
Fate: The Winx Saga.
In May 2019, Yonaka signed with American label
Fueled by Ramen, ahead of the release of their debut album, ''Don't Wait 'Til Tomorrow'', on 31 May. The album reached 38 on the
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...
and 10 on the
UK Vinyl Albums Chart.
The band were also nominated for Best British Newcomer at the
2019 Kerrang! Awards.
In December 2019, they featured on Bring Me the Horizon's song "Tapes", which appeared on their EP ''
Music to Listen To...''.
''Seize the Power'' (2020–present)
In a session made in July 2020 for Amazon Music UK's
Twitch
Twitch may refer to:
Biology
* Muscle contraction
** Convulsion, rapid and repeated muscle contraction and relaxation
** Fasciculation, a small, local, involuntary muscle contraction
** Myoclonic twitch, a jerk usually caused by sudden muscle c ...
channel, which was later deleted a month after the broadcast, Yonaka performed for the first time an unreleased song called "Ordinary".
On 27 January 2021, the band released "Seize the Power", the first official single from their
mixtape
In the modern music industry, a mixtape is a musical project, typically with looser constraints than that of an album or extended play. Unlike the traditional album or extended play, mixtapes are labeled as laid-back projects that allow artists mo ...
of the same name. On the track, Yonaka commented: "It's been so long since we released new music and the time has finally come; this is a new chapter for us. We want you to get lost in a feeling of strength and empowerment when listening to this song". The mixtape was released on 15 July 2021 and featured appearances from
Fever 333
Fever 333 (or the Fever 333) is an American rock band formed in Inglewood, California, in July 2017. The band was founded by former Letlive vocalist Jason Aalon Butler, former the Chariot guitarist Stephen Harrison and Night Verses drummer A ...
and
Barns Courtney
Barnaby George "Barns" Courtney (born 17 November 1990) is an English singer, songwriter, and musician.
Early life
Courtney was born in England then moved with his family to Seattle, Washington when he was 4. He returned to the United Kingd ...
. Yonaka are scheduled to appear on
Palaye Royale
Palaye Royale is an American rock band from Las Vegas, formed in 2008 by brothers Remington Leith, Sebastian Danzig, and Emerson Barrett. Formed under the name Kropp Circle, the band released one EP and two singles before changing their name to ...
's 2023 Fever Dream European + UK tour to support ''Seize the Power''.
Discography
Studio albums
EPs
Mixtapes
Singles
* Note that the single "Ignorance" was reworked, becoming "Awake", as included on the album ''Don't Wait 'Til Tomorrow''.
Other appearances
Music videos
Notes
References
External links
{{Commonscat-inline
Musical groups established in 2014
English rock music groups
2014 establishments in England
Female-fronted musical groups
Rock music groups from Brighton and Hove