Roadhouse Magazine Sits Down with Yada Yada
Yada Yada is a Chicago-based band that fuses indie-influenced punk with a raw, evolving sound that pulls from genres like grunge and hardcore. Their music is made to move to, whether that means dancing, moshing, or just letting loose in the moment. Known for their high-energy shows, they create an atmosphere where anyone can feel safe to let go, connect, and be part of something bigger than just the music.
1. When did Yada Yada become a band? The name is so unique as well and I would love any backstory on how you all became a band and what inspired the name.
We started playing music together in spring of 2022 and basically were all just in search of some sort of musical outlet, which led us to each other to form this project. We had a few names picked out that we went back and forth between, some standouts being: Gout Dog, Garden Units, Liar Stealer Man, etc., although we eventually landed on Yada Yada. While the initial idea for the name came from a tv show, we liked how Yada Yada fit in with our sound and it just kind of stuck.
2. What inspires each of you as musicians? Do other musicians, painters, poets, or any sort of artist inspire the music you make?
We’ve drawn most of our collective inspiration from a classic punk sound, or more specifically contemporary femme-led punk groups like Mannequin Pussy and Amyl and the Sniffers. From their innovative songwriting to their electrifying live performances, these bands have influenced us immensely in how we shape our sound. Of course, our friends – whether they be musicians, photographers, or artists – have impacted how we view art broadly and it has been such a rewarding experience to collaborate with friends of all creative backgrounds
3. What does your songwriting process look like? Do you write songs with a particular mood or message in mind, or do they evolve naturally?
Typically one of us will have an idea and bring it to the group, and from there we start to shape it and establish the structure of the song. Some songs come together quickly, others take more time to flesh out. As far as messaging, most of them unfold throughout the songwriting process but there are some that are made with more explicit intent. Our upcoming EP is thematically centered around constrictions, bodily autonomy, and regaining control. So that has kind of guided each song’s subject, but still each song comes into its own in unexpected ways.
4. How would you describe your music to someone who has never heard it before?
Indie-influenced punk to dance to. With a more recent lineup, we’ve been incorporating more elements of grunge, garage, hardcore, and shoegaze.
5. How has being based in Chicago influenced your music?
Chicago has the best local music scene, hands-down. So many bands we adore, venues that are receptive to local bands, and a community that shows up for its artists in a number of different ways. We’ve gotten to know so many people that we admire and will consider friends for the rest of our lives, and we’re grateful to this scene for that.
6. What are your favorite local venues to play, and why?
Lincoln Hall because of the venue's sound and extremely welcoming crew, Book Club because of its DIY roots and what it’s done for both touring and up-and-coming bands, and Empty Bottle because it's a good time.
7. Can you describe a particularly memorable or chaotic moment from one of your shows?
There’s a few to draw from–like when Will crowd surfed for an entire song and no one would let him get down, or when Wes accidentally bumped into his mom and knocked her over during the Emoticon solo (we can laugh now, she was okay), but a particular moment that was so special to us was performing ‘I Got Heaven’ with our good friend Cat from Scarlet Demore at Lincoln Hall.
8. What’s the energy like at a Yada Yada show? How do you want people to feel when they leave?
Our shows tend to be high energy and welcoming places to dance and mosh. We hope that the take away experience from these shows is that they are a place for people to feel safe and find community with one another, whether that be through the music itself or connecting with people at shows.
9. Congrats on the new song coming up soon! Anything you can tell me about it or when it will be released?
We have a few songs we recorded at Electrical Audio in collaboration with Sport Peppers, and both of them will be released this spring. The first single is coming out this April, and we have an accompanying show at Empty Bottle on April 21st to celebrate its release.
10. What’s been the most rewarding part of your journey as a band so far?
Being able to make art together has always been really rewarding, but I think the experience recording earlier this year solidified that this is something that we all want to do long term. This year we’re going on tour which has been on our collective bucket list, so being able to live out this dream together really is such a special feeling.
11. Your first show of the year was absolutely incredible! Can you tell me more about how that concert went?
It was a lot of fun! We had just released our newest single “Bleach” the day before the show, and it was really cool to see the energy in the room when we got to play it live.
12. What’s in store for Yada Yada for the rest of 2025?
We have two singles coming out this spring and our second EP coming out in October. We’ll also be heading to the West Coast on tour in June, as well as adding a few more Chicago shows here and there!
