Festivals Yonaka: “I love the fact that you don’t know what you’re gonna get at festivals”

Ahead of the band’s slot headlining DIY’s takeover at this weekend’s Y Not Festival, we caught up with the band’s Therese Jarvis.

Words: Sarah Jamieson
28th July 2023

The 2023 edition of Y Not is set to be another big year for IndieHeads! From swaggering big-hitters Royal Blood and Kasabian, through to indie disco staples like Kate Nash, Mystery Jets and Bombay Bicycle Club - via CMAT, Phoebe Green, The Last Dinner Party and other new music royalty - the Derbyshire fest promises to be a veritable smorgasbord of pints-aloft singalongs and constant good vibes.

Holding up the heavier end of the line-up are rousing alt-rockers Yonaka, who - today, as it so happens - have shared their newest EP with the world.

Ahead of their slot headlining the DIY takeover of Y Not’s Giant Squid stage tomorrow, we chatted to the band’s Theresa Jarvis about the release of ‘Welcome To My House’, and their upcoming visit to the festival…

”[‘Welcome To My House’] feels exciting and nothing sounds the same.”

— Theresa Jarvis

Hello Theresa! How has 2023 treated you so far?
I’m well! This year has been so far a good year for growth. I’m learning new things about myself all the time and welcoming change even though it can feel scary at first but I’m riding the wave, everything is as it’s supposed to be.

You’ve just released your new EP ‘Welcome To My House’ - can you tell us a bit about what you wanted to explore on the EP?
So, the EP has seven tracks on it: they kinda go all over the place in tempo, sound and emotion, it feels exciting and nothing sounds the same. Originally we wanted to do an album so we actually had to really carve out the EP but it works nicely. When writing for a body of work there will be a song that is a moment where you go ‘OK, this is where it is’ and that song was ‘Panic’ for the EP and we worked around that being the heart of it.

How do you think it follows on from ‘Seize The Power’?
I think it follows on nicely. I adore the 'Seize The Power EP' and 'Seize The Power' as a song itself is one of my favourite songs we ever wrote; it feels brand new every day I listen to it

Do you have any anecdotes from making the EP that you can share with us?
We went out to LA to record the EP, but that didn’t quite go as planned as LA is way too fun a place to stay inside. We stayed in this house with a studio and our friend Barns Courtney stayed the whole time on the sofa. We would just hang out, drink and then make music, and we were jumping on each other’s tracks so you can hear him layered up with my vocals, in the middle eight of ‘Panic’.

You’ve also been playing a whole host of festivals this summer; what do you think you enjoy most about playing at festivals?
I love the fact that you don’t know what you’re gonna get. I like that people will just stumble across you and either hate you or fall in love. I also like being around and seeing all the other artists and like getting to enjoy being the punter too.

What should people expect from your set at Y Not? And will you be checking out any of the other acts on the line-up while you’re there?
They can expect a lovely old show with new songs and some classics. I’m looking forward to seeing Sad Night Dynamite, Cassyette and Kid Kapichi.