Band: YESS WOAH
Country of Origin: Canada

Hailing from London, Ontario the (now) duo of YESS WOAH plays an intriguing style that builds on a base of folk and indie pop while dabbling in psych and punk territory at all the right moments. The passion placed in the writing and recording of Believe, YESS WOAH’s sophomore release, is evident throughout the entire record and, for some reason I can’t explain, I found it transporting my mind to a nondescript porch on a rainy, warm spring day. For this week’s Five Questions With… songwriter Yessica Woahneil gives us a glimpse into the world of YESS WOAH and the scene in London, Ontario.

Five Questions

1. What is your desert island disc (the one album you couldn’t live without?)

Oooooooooh … Bjork’s ‘Debut’ was the first album to blow my mind. I still remember the exact moment I first heard it and fell in love. There was a whole party scene of loud drunken teenagers but once the album came on everything else fell silent to me aside from the music. I was mesmerized and so inspired by this entire new world of sound and pulsing energy… it would definitely come to the island!

2. How did the band members meet?

We first met at a pool party a few hot sticky summers ago. After that, Juliette moved to Toronto for a while. When she came back into town I was about to record an album and she jumped on drums for the recording and the band was born!

3. What is the underground music scene like in your home country?

As with most places, some of the best shows can go under the radar. If you pay attention and stay connected there are great shows at alternative spaces in the city. There is a film titled ‘Et tu, dude?’ by Forbidden City Films from a few years ago which gives a good glimpse into the local underground scene:

Directed by Travis Welowszky
Title illustrations by Danielle Fricke
Still photography by Troy Biliski
Additional audio mixing by Pete Hurst
Additional post-prod. sfx by Zachary Gray

4. What are some of your biggest influences outside of music?

I spend a good deal of time devouring books and that influences the songwriting! There are these cycles of personal creativity and focus where you inhabit your work or music or practice followed by going back into the world and filling up again on inspiration from those around you and getting to see what other artists in your community are up to. I’ve really grown to enjoy the poetry scene in my city.

5. Tell us about your favorite show you ever played.

The raw energy from of our very first show together still makes me smile when I think back on it. We were having such a great time ripping our songs out and the crowd was full and very lively! My friend John was at the show and he recorded our set so we’ve got a little piece of the night for keeps now.

Later this year I’m heading out on a tour in Europe and really looking forward to playing in some new venues and cities!