YONAKA’s Welcome To My House EP: Unveiling Emotion Through Mesmerizing Alt-Rock

With Theresa Jarvis on vocals, Alex Crosby on bass, and George Werbrouck-Edwards on
guitar, the electrifying UK trio, YONAKA, dynamically fuses pop, punk, and hip-hop to create a
mesmerizing alt-rock sound. Hailing from Brighton, where they first met at University, YONAKA’s
music resonates deeply with themes of mental health and empowerment, facilitated with clear
intention and expansive vision. Having already amassed over 150 million streams and earned
widespread acclaim, YONAKA has just released their highly anticipated Welcome To My House
EP on 7/28, courtesy of LAVA/Republic Records.

I was thrilled to attend an exclusive press conference hosted with YONAKA, in celebration of
their latest EP release. During the conference, I had the incredible opportunity to ask the band
some questions directly. Join me as I share the highlights from this captivating conversation,
providing an in-depth look into YONAKA’s artistry and the story behind their latest EP.

And, be sure to listen to the Welcome To My House EP  CLICK HERE and check out the Welcome To MyHouse EP Video Playlist Link Here

Hello and thank you so much for having me! What can fans expect from the upcoming
Welcome To My House EP?

“So, I think there’s a song for every emotion on the EP – there’s seven tracks, and it ranges
from ones where you can cry to ones that you can fucking rage!” Theresa exclaims, reflecting
on the songwriting process of the EP as like a roller coaster, recounting how the self-produced
group meticulously record, mix, and master each track from start to finish.

“So, they can expect something to pull in all the emotions.”
“We’ve managed to pack a lot of different moods, genres, and themes all in,” George adds.
“It’s very powerful music,” he says. We have to agree – each track on the Welcome To My
House EP possesses a distinct potency drawing from a deeply diverse world of musical
expression, leaving listeners in awe.

Can you share some insight into the songwriting process for the EP and how you
approached incorporating the themes of mental health and empowerment into your
music? Why are these topics important to you as a band?

“Writing-wise, we came over to LA for two months to supposedly record the EP and maybe write
something… we did not,” Theresa smiles.

“We recorded the drums and some guitars, and that was about it. We had everything written for
like a year already, and they all kind of come a bit differently,” she tells me.
“For ‘Hands Off My Money’, I already had the lyrics for that song ‘cause I got off the phone to
our lawyer and he pissed me off, so the words were already there!” We all laugh. Theresa and
the boys emphasize that the songwriting process for other tracks on the EP like “Panic”, “Halo”,
and “I Want More” resonates with many facets of their lives, from raw feelings and random
words and concepts to funky guitar riffs and past experiences.

The EP features self-produced tracks as well as tracks produced by Zakk Cervini, Jesse Bluu,
Sacha Skarbek, and Stephen Barnes. The band shared that they first collaborated with a
producer during the making of “By The Time You’re Reading This.”

“We were all in a room with Zakk Cervini, so that was nice for us, because we never actually
wrote a song with someone else before, with a producer or writer in the room,” Theresa
explains.

“So, that was a nice experience. It was different.” Zakk Cervini is a talented US-based producer,
mixer, and songwriter who has collaborated with artists such as Machine Gun Kelly, Travis
Barker, and YUNGBLUD.

“Sometimes they can come from just a guitar part or a beat. Sometimes the lyrics first, melody
first… there’s not one direct way,” George adds, further illustrating the diverse paths of creativity.

Amidst the creative journey, the resonating themes of mental health and empowerment thread
through YONAKA’s music, striking a chord with many. Theresa reveals that her songwriting
process isn’t about deliberately addressing mental health, but rather allowing emotions to flow
naturally, giving rise to authentic themes.

“Whenever I write a song, I never go, ‘I’m writing this song about mental health’. I just write kind
of how I’m feeling and it naturally comes out”, says Theresa.

As a cohesive group, they draw inspiration from each other’s energies – when the guys forge
something heavy, Theresa can seamlessly channel that vibe herself.

“But, if I’m sad or just a bit stuck, then it will come out like that”, Theresa says, alluding to the
vulnerability that more often than not permeates songwriting.

“So, I think mental health is a journey that kind of never ends, but it does get better and it
changes. I think there will always be messages and stuff throughout, a hundred percent, but it’s
never really a conscious thing to do. The empowerment thing, though… like when you’re feeling
good, you just wanna fucking tell the whole world you’re feeling good don’t you?” Once again,
we all laugh and nod our heads in agreement.

I really appreciate you being mindful of incorporating those themes into your music in
such a fun and unique way. That being said, with your fusion of pop, punk, and hip-hop,
what challenges and opportunities have you encountered in creating a distinct sound
that resonates with your audience?

Reflecting on the group’s musical journey, Theresa sheds light on an interesting facet.

“We were doing an interview a couple of weeks ago and someone said to us, “Do you feel like
you’re part of this scene?”. I don’t actually think we’ve ever been part of any scene, but we’d
actually quite like to be,” Theresa explains.

“But then at the same time, I don’t know, I feel like we haven’t found an area that we fit yet – and
I don’t know if that’s because we mix so many different things that it kind of goes in and out,”
Theresa muses that the multifaceted nature of their music, drawing from diverse elements,
might contribute to the challenge of pinpointing a definitive space where their art seamlessly fits.
But, to us listeners, that’s what makes them stand out.

Alex agrees.

“Yeah, I think ultimately, we just write what we like, what we want to hear. I don’t feel like you
can think about what other people want when you’re creating music, because then it’s sort of
watered down, or tarnished. Just do what you wanna hear and what you enjoy!” he says. And, if
people happen to like it, then great!

“Our scene is kind of like our fans really, isn’t it?” Theresa turns to her bandmates.

“We’d like to be part of a scene, I think, it’s just finding what’s right. I guess because we write
based on a feeling, like what feels good that day, so I’m not sure what it is.”

That’s what leads you to open up to different types of fans and scenes, so I love that. As
a band that has amassed over 150 million streams and earned widespread acclaim, I’m
curious how you navigate the pressure of delivering music that meets the expectations
of both your existing fanbase and new listeners?

“Because we’ve always done a lot of different genres, our fans come to expect something
different every time,” George answers. Ultimately, their creative journey has not been
characterized by consistently adhering to familiar patterns that lead people to expect a specific
sound. Their fans don’t even put that pressure on the band, “because we’ve always done things
differently,” he says.

“I fancy to just be open to a surprise, which is great!” Alex adds.

Are there any specific tracks on the Welcome To My House EP that you feel particularly
connected to, and can you tell us a bit about the stories or messages behind those
songs?

“For me, ‘Welcome To My House’ is one of my favorite lyrics that I’ve ever written because I talk
about myself in almost like a negative way, or talk about my flaws, and like my coping
mechanisms and stuff until I get to talk about myself in a really beautiful way,” Theresa shares.
She describes this track as an insight into who she is – faults, beauty, and all.

But I swear I swear I can be good
And pretty like a storm
Calm like the ocean
Soft like the air
And warm like summer rain

“I refer to myself as like nature – the air, the ocean, the storms, because I think that nature is the
most beautiful thing in the whole entire world and you can feel it and become it. It’s always
there. I like referencing myself as those things because I think everyone is beautiful inside and
they should love themselves, but it’s very easy to not notice that part. So, I really love the
sentiment of the lyrics in that track.”

As you kickstart the next chapter of your musical career, what are your goals and
aspirations for the future? What can fans expect?

“I think the main thing is just getting out there and gigging usually again,” George says.

“We haven’t had our own headline tour in a minute, and it’s been a while. We want something
new to give the fans, write more music, and just keep going bigger and better until… Well, not
until! Just keep going bigger and better,” we all laughed.

“We can’t wait to do our own shows again. It’s been a while. To get all of our fans that just like
coming to see us all together in a room – there’s nothing like it!”

We are so excited to see what YONAKA has in store next! Listen to the Welcome To My House
EP CLICK HERE and be sure to watch the Welcome To My House EP Video Playlist Link Here!