Today we’d like to introduce you to INOHA. Them and their team share their story with us below:
INOHA started as one of the many random thoughts in Keanu Bicol’s head. He had been writing music for multiple years, whether with his solo music or with San Antonio’s alternative rock band Dunwich Heroes. “I’ve always wanted to start a music project and have the opportunity to learn how to lead, manage, and network. I felt that with the experience I’ve accumulated over the years, I was confident that I could pull it off,” Keanu stated. The first member of INOHA recruited was Dunwich Heroes’ drummer, Ricky Juarez. Ricky and Keanu have known each other since Keanu joined Dunwich Heroes in 2019 as lead guitarist. “Without a doubt, Ricky was the guy I wanted to be in this project,” Keanu said. “I’ve always respected his drum abilities and his passion for the music. With all of the performances and shows we’ve done with Dunwich Heroes, we had a solid foundation and tons of musical chemistry that would only get better the more we played together.” So, when Keanu sent a message to Ricky about starting a band, Ricky happily obliged. Keanu and Ricky would become the first lineup of INOHA. A couple of open mics later, they would go on to get their next member, Christian Young. Christian Young, also known as ImTrying, sent a message one day to Keanu, expressing his interest in joining the band on bass. Chris and Keanu had known each other for some time but had never collaborated on a music project until INOHA’s formation. “I’ve always been a fan of Chris/ImTrying and his music! Ever since he introduced himself and his music to me one day. What stood out the most to me was the versatility and diversity in his music and his collaborations with other artists,” Keanu said. “His song and lyrical writing paired alongside his multiple-genre background was something that INOHA was looking for.” After just one band practice session with INOHA, Chris added to the band’s sound and was welcomed into the band.
INOHA’s sound was finally starting to take shape, but the project needed one more piece to help it all come together. The piece that would help INOHA round out and form their full sound would be Gavin Gonzalez. Gavin plays drums for multiple bands in San Antonio but was a guitar player at heart. Keanu met Gavin at a show at Pink Zeppelin, where both of their respective bands played. However, it was at another show, this time at Paper Tiger, where Keanu invited Gavin to jam with INOHA. “While talking, he mentioned that he was mainly a guitar player but usually played drums for bands because most bands in the city were looking for drummers,” Keanu said. “I figured we could have him jam with us and see how it would work out. We were looking for a second guitarist to make our sound much more full, so if he was down with our vibe and sound, we would welcome him to the band.”
And after their first jam session together, Gavin was welcomed into the band. Keanu states, “Although he says he’s a bit rusty on guitar, his playing is something that helps the band set a foundational sound and have more dynamics. His attention to detail, passion for playing live shows, and attitude towards improving himself and others around him are great additions to INOHA, and we’re glad to have him.” With that being said, INOHA now consists of Keanu Bicol (guitar), Ricky Juarez (drums), Christian Young (bass), and Gavin Gonzalez (guitar). Looking forward to 2023, INOHA hopes to play some awesome shows in the Texas area and release music on streaming platforms.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Everything has been going relatively well. INOHA is fairly new, so we have not encountered major troubles or struggles. We all want to improve ourselves as musicians and a band, and we all know that we can do that through communication, trust, and practice. The one struggle we usually run into is scheduling, whether that be shows or practices. However, we’re usually able to communicate and sort it all out, so everything works for everyone.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For readers who might need to be more familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
Hopefully in the long run we’ll be known for something, but the focus is to find out what we’re capable of and what we can be known for. We want to play many shows, write music to be released on streaming platforms, and improve together as a band. We recently had our full line-up debut on Dec. 16th at The Starlighter, where we opened up for bands and artists such as They Live!, Vanita Leo, and Honey Bunny. After looking back and watching our first performance, we know where we’re at right now and where we can improve.
What would you say has been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
The most important lesson is that hard work pays off. We’re all working hard to achieve something in music. Whether we turn out to be well-known or not, we want to continue to move forward. We’ll be making mistakes and errors along our journey, but we’ll continue to improve ourselves and become better musicians. However, we want to have a good time with audiences and make friends along the way.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.
instagram.com/inoha_band/?hl= en - Youtube: https://www.youtube.
com/channel/UCIW1- dqkszvgij5JrCVaFGg
Image Credits
Shaun Alvarado
