There’s just over a week to go until I catch The Ninth Wave on their headline tour. And that’s a rather fitting segway into October’s artist spotlight, which sees YONAKA here, under the microscope.

The Theresa Jarvis-fronted four-piece first burst onto my radar thanks to Spotify Radio (another ace recommendation, props). Their undying energy and feistiness was infectious and, the more I listened, the more I was hooked on their bossy, take-no-prisoners tunes. That led to me getting tickets for their 2019 show at The Wardrobe, Leeds, and where my opening nod to The Ninth Wave — who supported them — also brings us full circle.

Since then, YONAKA have released the wildly spirited album ‘Don’t Wait ‘Til Tomorrow’ and this year’s ‘Seize the Power’ EP. Both are incredibly ferocious, but it’s their latest offerings that have projected notions of the importance of inner worth and value, pushing past mental barriers and generally being the best you can be. If you don’t find strength from these tracks, you’ve simply not played them loud enough.

Between the dyed hair, Y2K-meets-Goth style and experimental electronics, you get the full package with YONAKA. Sitting still isn’t their forte — and, frankly, my ears wouldn’t want them to.

Top tracks

Here’s an amuse-bouche to get you acquainted:

► ‘Punch Bag’

► ‘Creature’

► ‘Lose Our Heads’

► ‘Fired Up’

► ‘Call Me a Saint’