In a candid and powerful interview on Radio X’s The Evening Show with Dan O’Connell, Yonaka frontwoman Theresa Jarvis reflected on the "consuming" mental health struggles that defined the band's early career. Speaking on the March 30 broadcast, Jarvis revealed how her internal battle shaped the band’s debut album, Don’t Wait ‘Til Tomorrow, and how a years-long journey of self-discovery has finally brought her to a place of confidence.
Discussing the darker periods of her life, Jarvis admitted that her mental health once dictated her entire creative output because there was simply no room for anything else.
"From the first album we wrote... that's all about how crazy my mental health was," Jarvis told O'Connell. "I couldn’t write about nothing else, because it was so consuming. And, you know, I was scared to be in myself, because I was just having such a bad time."
Host Dan O'Connell noted that the "hate or spite" often found in art is frequently an outward projection of how an artist feels about themselves. Jarvis agreed, noting that her relationship with her mental health was a "big, long-term" struggle that required significant work to overcome.
Fast-forward to 2026, and the singer says she has "become a different person" through seeking help and learning to view herself through a kinder lens. Rejecting the common trope of wishing to return to one's youth, Jarvis embraced the hard-won stability of her current self.
"Stuff that! I feel most happy and confident in myself now, and it's taken a lot of work," she said. "I felt really confident in what I was writing... I feel like, ‘I know this is good, and I feel good. I'm good at what I do, so go in for it.’"
Jarvis believes this shift in perspective is audible in the band's latest work, marking a transition from writing out of fear to writing from a position of strength.
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