It is breathtaking as a debut album and a collaboration with some of the best in the business.
—Dave Franklin, The Big Takeover
Global drumming sensation and child prodigy YOYOKA celebrated her 15th birthday in the most memorable way possible, with the release of her highly anticipated first album, “For Teen," a nod to her age and the number of tracks on the album.
Born and raised in Hokkaido, Japan, YOYOKA started performing live at age 4, forming a band with her family when she was 5, and began learning a vast canon of classic repertoire. Several years later, at just 8 years old, lightning struck as she captured the world's attention with her jaw-dropping drum cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Good Times, Bad Times” that showcased a technical prowess and musicality far beyond her years. The clip quickly went viral with Robert Plant recognizing her incredible ability.
The newfound acclaim lead to a pair of appearances on The Ellen DeGeneres Show while receiving praise from legendary musicians Dave Grohl, of Nirvana and Foo Fighters, and Ian Paice of Deep Purple. She also found herself performing with many luminaries including Rage Against The Machine and Audioslave's Tom Morello, Fall Out Boy (at Summer Sonic in Japan), Narada Michael Walden, Jack Black and Cyndi Lauper, all of whom have lauded her undeniable talent and passion for music.
Amidst the plethora of celebrity endorsements, Drummerworld selected YOYOKA as one of the “World’s Top 500 Drummers," the youngest ever, while Newsweek Japan included her in their esteemed list of “100 Japanese People the World Respects.”
A collection of 14 well-crafted tracks that span rock, pop, jazz, fusion, progressive rock, funk, and punk, 'For Teen' highlights her skills as a drummer, musician and composer as she had a hand in co-writing most of the tracks while also playing both bass and guitar on “Home Bestie” and singing lead vocal on “Keychain.”
In addition to her contributions, the album features an impressive lineup of artists and producers, including world-renowned producer Narada Michael Walden, who has worked with the likes of Jeff Beck and Whitney Houston, legendary rock bassist Marco Mendoza, former Dream Theater keyboardist Derek Sherinian, guitarist Roman Morello (son of Tom Morello from RATM), and Jamiroquai members' Derrick McKenzie, Paul Turner, and Matt Johnson.
Additional collaborators include Frank Simes, who has co-written with Don Henley of The Eagles and served as bandmaster for The Who, Atlanta-based singer Tulani, who has opened for Lady Gaga and Anderson.Paak, bassist Tony Grey, a member of Hiromi Uehara’s touring band, jazz pianist Ai Furusato, guitarist Yukihide “YT” Takiyama, who has worked with B’z and others, and vocalists Josephine Peppink, Shido, Rachel West, and Leon Vincent.
Building upon a successful album release show in Hollywood that saw 300 people in attendance, YOYOKA has a number of upcoming appearances including the Whisky A Go Go for Ultimate Jam Night/Jam for Adam on November 26th, at the Throckmorton Theatre in Mill Valley, CA for the Narada Michael Walden Foundation's 27th Annual Holiday Jam, featuring the incomparable Patti Austin and at the 2025 NAMM Show, which runs January 21-25 in Anaheim, CA.
Born and raised in Hokkaido, Japan, YOYOKA started performing live at age 4, forming a band with her family when she was 5, and began learning a vast canon of classic repertoire. Several years later, at just 8 years old, lightning struck as she captured the world's attention with her jaw-dropping drum cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Good Times, Bad Times” that showcased a technical prowess and musicality far beyond her years. The clip quickly went viral with Robert Plant recognizing her incredible ability.
The newfound acclaim lead to a pair of appearances on The Ellen DeGeneres Show while receiving praise from legendary musicians Dave Grohl, of Nirvana and Foo Fighters, and Ian Paice of Deep Purple. She also found herself performing with many luminaries including Rage Against The Machine and Audioslave's Tom Morello, Fall Out Boy (at Summer Sonic in Japan), Narada Michael Walden, Jack Black and Cyndi Lauper, all of whom have lauded her undeniable talent and passion for music.
Amidst the plethora of celebrity endorsements, Drummerworld selected YOYOKA as one of the “World’s Top 500 Drummers," the youngest ever, while Newsweek Japan included her in their esteemed list of “100 Japanese People the World Respects.”
A collection of 14 well-crafted tracks that span rock, pop, jazz, fusion, progressive rock, funk, and punk, 'For Teen' highlights her skills as a drummer, musician and composer as she had a hand in co-writing most of the tracks while also playing both bass and guitar on “Home Bestie” and singing lead vocal on “Keychain.”
In addition to her contributions, the album features an impressive lineup of artists and producers, including world-renowned producer Narada Michael Walden, who has worked with the likes of Jeff Beck and Whitney Houston, legendary rock bassist Marco Mendoza, former Dream Theater keyboardist Derek Sherinian, guitarist Roman Morello (son of Tom Morello from RATM), and Jamiroquai members' Derrick McKenzie, Paul Turner, and Matt Johnson.
Additional collaborators include Frank Simes, who has co-written with Don Henley of The Eagles and served as bandmaster for The Who, Atlanta-based singer Tulani, who has opened for Lady Gaga and Anderson.Paak, bassist Tony Grey, a member of Hiromi Uehara’s touring band, jazz pianist Ai Furusato, guitarist Yukihide “YT” Takiyama, who has worked with B’z and others, and vocalists Josephine Peppink, Shido, Rachel West, and Leon Vincent.
Building upon a successful album release show in Hollywood that saw 300 people in attendance, YOYOKA has a number of upcoming appearances including the Whisky A Go Go for Ultimate Jam Night/Jam for Adam on November 26th, at the Throckmorton Theatre in Mill Valley, CA for the Narada Michael Walden Foundation's 27th Annual Holiday Jam, featuring the incomparable Patti Austin and at the 2025 NAMM Show, which runs January 21-25 in Anaheim, CA.
For more information contact 1888 Media.
