YONAKA NME AWARDS SHOWS TOUR

Yonaka, a 4-piece hailing from Brighton, UK, played a fierce and fiery show to a sold-out crowd at London’s The Garage as part of the highly coveted NME Awards Shows Tour. The band have quickly began gaining popularity in the UK for their intense blend of electro-pop-rock, with front woman Theresa Jarvis’ searing vocals and sass-filled swaggering across the stage making for a captivating performance.

Their set begins as it means to go on – fast paced with visceral guitar sounds, pounding basslines and crashing drums. Opener “Ignorance” quickly gets the packed-out crowd jumping and a mosh pit seems to be well underway by the second chorus.

Halfway through the set, a special moment occurred when Matt Thomson of indie favourites The Amazons joined the quartet for a duet with Jarvis of Post Malone’s hit “Fall Apart”, putting their own spin on it with beautiful harmonies and a rockier edge than the original.

Throughout the set, Jarvis often puts the mic to the audience, only to be met with every word being sang back to her – something which seemingly comes as a surprise. Perhaps the band, who are set to play at SXSW in Austin this month, haven’t yet come to terms with their rising success.

Later, “Bubblegum” clearly points to the climax of the evening. Arguably their biggest and most well-known track, when the lights drop at the breakdown before the chorus the audience is at their loudest, screaming back the lyrics as Jarvis holds them in the palm of her hand.

Returning for an encore with fan favourite “Wouldn’t Wanna Be Ya”, the band are welcomed back onstage with roaring cheers, each member looking completely overwhelmed yet humble at the reaction they’ve received. Yonaka are set to make waves in the industry, and the states are sure to follow in the UK’s adoring footsteps.