“We’ve been through so many ups and downs together as a band. We have a lot more confidence now that we didn’t have before,” share YONAKA on finding their courage and self-certainty in their newest mixtape, Seize The Power.

Photo: Dave East

When they released their boisterous new mixtape, Seize The Power, British rockers YONAKA made a slamming return and pushed self-empowerment and mental health to the top of the agenda again. Never one to shy away from sharing their personal struggles and provide you with the ammo to fight your own inner demons, their latest music is “very fucking dark and to the point.”

“We wanted it to be very in your face,” begins frontwoman and vocalist Theresa Jarvis. “This is the first piece of work that we’re presenting again, and we wanted it to show how far we’ve come and progressed from where we were at before.”

“You think you’re working hard until you’re actually working hard,” Theresa jokes. Becoming more serious, she reflects, “When we were first doing stuff, it would start from working one day a week. We would be like, ‘Wow, that felt really good’, and then you do a couple more. From the last album, we’d work three days a week maximum, and you’d think that you’re really pulling it out of the bag, going the extra mile, [but] you’re just not.”

“Now we work really hard, we do five days a week solidly and then if there are any little bits we need to fix, carry on, or if we just feel like it, [we go] on the weekends. We were doing six days a week all through lockdown. And because it’s one of those things where you are your own boss, if you don’t do it, it’s not there and you’re going to fall behind because everything moves so quickly in the music industry.” She concludes, “The amount of pressure that I know I personally put on myself is crazy, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

When you’re in your moment and you’re feeling yourself, it’s the best feeling ever, you feel like you can do anything

With roughly a year and a half having elapsed since their last full release, time was on the band’s side for Seize The Power and it was something that they decided to take advantage of. Bassist Alex Crosby starts, “We felt like we wanted each song to have a different sonic identity and it was really fun to explore that this year.” Drummer Rob Mason carries on, “That whole lockdown period was the longest we’ve been in one place in many years. It’s the most time we’ve had to solely focus, instead of usually juggling a million things, and then flying off somewhere, or coming back,” before Theresa neatly surmises, “It’s our best work [and we’re] really proud of it.” She beams, “We’ve grown so much in writing and we produce everything, so you can hear the growth in the music.”

It’s not just their sonics that have undergone improvements, but the band’s confidence has also grown with time and experience. That message is clear and consistent through the mixtape, as Theresa urges, “If you want something, take it and grab it. You can have it, it’s yours, you are in control. Don’t let anyone else tell you different. It’s [about] that empowerment thing; if people want to tell you no, or say that you can’t do something, then tell them to fuck off. It’s all about you.”

She continues, “People forget how powerful and how fucking badass they are because you get beat down over life to feel like that. I think when you’re in your moment and you’re feeling yourself, it’s the best feeling ever, you feel like you can do anything. And obviously we can’t stay in that forever; you have to have the depth of highs and lows and stuff, but when you’re in it, revel in it, try and stay at that point, and be in that moment. It’s living in the moment and taking what’s rightfully yours.”

One particular example of this no-holding-back attitude is in the swaggering track Greedy, an “early noughties hip-hop” inspired track that calls out people who are constantly demanding from others. Theresa ponders, “[I got the inspiration for] that song [when] I got off the phone to someone, and I was just like, ‘What the fuck?’. I started realising how much money you make in the world and how much people take from you, and how much everyone wants to keep taking from you and you’re left with pretty much nothing, which is bullshit.” She builds onto this, “It’s when people just want to take, take, take, from you, and you’re like, ‘What is going on? Again? You come back and you want more?’. You’re left wondering, ‘What am I actually getting out of this?’, and realise it’s nothing. So I just want [you] to be your own boss. Stop giving to people, stop letting take from you, just be like, ‘Nah.’

Getting to this point of self-assuredness hasn’t been the easiest journey though, especially for the band members who have each struggled with their mental health. Theresa, who has been open about her own struggles with anxiety, tells us, “I feel it’s a daily battle. You don’t win, but you learn to cope with it. You learn ways to make it easier.”

Guitarist George Werbrouck-Edwards also opens up, “I’ve had an eating disorder for a while and it’s never really gone. But it’s learning to deal with it and be open. It’s never going to be fully gone. You find ways in what will support [you] and it gets easier.”

“It’s always gonna be there but you just got to like teach it, it’s like teaching a kid. It should be really gentle. It’s talking to yourself calmly, don’t walk into things that are going to make you [panic] but don’t run away from it, though. Because that’s another danger, then you associate every time you run away with danger and you’re in a worse position. You’ve got to fucking keep going,” states Theresa firmly.

She offers some practical advice to be honest about your struggles, observing, “When you talk about how you feel, or you write down – which I guess I’m in a lucky position because I can do that for my job – it is very helpful because it’s trapped inside you, and you’re letting it out. It’s very helpful and I recommend everyone should do that.”

You should celebrate where you are

Besides from mental health challenges, Theresa also notes she had to make “copious amounts of fuck ups to get where I am now.” However, she doesn’t dwell upon this negatively: “We could feel so guilty for most of our lives for doing things, but you’d be in a different place otherwise, and I think you should celebrate where you are. These mistakes are needed; that’s how you learn, that’s how you grow. If you don’t make mistakes, then you’re still a baby, surely?”

For Theresa, the direction that she has found for herself now is inner strength. “I don’t really care how people think about me anymore, whereas it used to be such a big factor for everyone, especially as a teenager. You don’t grow properly into yourself until you move out, you come out of school, you find the people that work for you.” She adds, “I feel strong and I feel like I’m where I’m supposed to be. We’re still writing loads for the next bit and it feels really exciting. We’ve got a lot of exciting stuff in the pipeline that will be announcing soon as well. I feel good.”

Alex expands upon this for the band, sharing: “We’ve been through so many ups and downs together as a band. We have a lot more confidence now that we didn’t have before.” Rob affirms, “As a band, I feel like we’ve got the best position that we’ve been in for our careers with the music we’re doing. We’re the happiest that we’ve been writing stuff. Career wise, everything’s looking up, so it’s positive from here on.”

As the group continues to sharpen their resilience through all that life has thrown at them, it seems YONAKA still have so much to offer. They’re at their prime, having brought their past onto their side and taking the future in their stride, and all while making their best music to date. It definitely seems to be all positive from here on, and there’s no holding back for the group now.