{"id":438157,"date":"2026-09-16T22:36:12","date_gmt":"2026-09-16T22:36:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/438157\/"},"modified":"2026-09-16T22:36:12","modified_gmt":"2026-09-16T22:36:12","slug":"san-antonio-indie-rock-act-inohas-viral-success-comes-from-keeping-it-real","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/438157\/","title":{"rendered":"San Antonio indie-rock act INOHA\u2019s viral success comes from keeping it real"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"All four of INOHA\u2019s members were born and raised in the Alamo City. Credit: Courtesy Photo \/ INOHA<\/p>\n

Many in Gen Z have written off Millennials as \u201ccringe.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

For some Zoomers, the generation before them\u2019s happy-go-lucky disposition feels out of place in today\u2019s increasingly online, doomerist culture.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Despite the backlash, early 2010s-style indie-rock has made a roaring comeback, driven by interest from Gen Zers. The Strokes, Vampire Weekend, Cults and The 1975 are suddenly soundtracking TikToks posted by younger folks indulging in Tumblr-era nostalgia.\u00a0<\/p>\n

INOHA, a four-piece band born and bred in San Antonio, is one of the unexpected success stories stemming from the trend.\u00a0<\/p>\n

If you have scrolled through Instagram Reels in the past year, there\u2019s a good chance you encountered INOHA without even realizing it. The quartet\u2019s first viral clip \u2014 now sitting at nearly 3 million views \u2014 shows lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Keanu Bicol standing in a shopping cart, lip-syncing the single \u201cSeventh Heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n

INOHA\u2019s path is distinctly Gen-Z, and its surge of online attention stemmed from the internet\u2019s new cultural gatekeepers: TikTok, Instagram and Discord.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In part, that\u2019s because the band\u2019s quirky DIY videos, such as its promo for \u201cSeventh Heaven,\u201d are powered by the kind of passion and authenticity that can\u2019t be manufactured. The clips stand in stark contrast to more polished videos posted by other bands.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think people resonated with the authenticity of the video,\u201d said Gavin Gonzales, INOHA\u2019s lead guitarist. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t recorded on a 4K camera, just on an old Samsung phone. You can literally see the pixels. People found it refreshing not to have that HD quality.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paired with the song\u2019s infectious tune, that clip and others that followed catapulted the band from local upstart status into being online faces of Gen Z\u2019s indie-rock revival. That visibility came in handy for the band as it released its first album, ALOHA INOHA, in 2024.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cMusic now is 90% marketing, 10% actual art,\u201d INOHA drummer Ricky Juarez said. \u201cJust because we have 150,000 people following us, that doesn\u2019t mean 150,000 people are coming out to our show.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

That distinction between attention and investment is something the band caught onto quickly. Viral fame doesn\u2019t always translate to bodies in a club, and it certainly doesn\u2019t translate into longevity.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not just a band on the Internet that\u2019s stuck behind the screen; you can see us in person. You can come to our shows. And we\u2019ll actually play the music that you like,\u201d Bicol said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Just the same, the viral content did bring out crowds, which the band grew through constant touring. INOHA\u2019s live shows have become rowdy affairs. Sometimes mosh pits break out like at hardcore shows, and kids and band members alike crowdsurf throughout the set.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The band thinks back fondly on a show in Orlando where the venue\u2019s built-in crowd turned the night into the wildest show its members have ever played.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe hopped in and started moshing early to get the energy flowing, and by the time we reached our set, it boiled over,\u201d Juarez recalled. \u201cNon-stop crowdsurfing, people jumping on each other, pits opening up. Even I was jumping off of stuff.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"\u201cOur ultimate goal is a completely sold-out headlining tour,\u201d INOHA drummer Ricky Juarez said. Credit: Courtesy Photo \/ INOHA<\/p>\n

San Antonio roots<\/p>\n

Part of INOHA\u2019s appeal is how determined the members are to keep their local connection. All four members \u2014 Bicol, Gonzalez, Juarez and bassist Chris Young \u2014 were raised in San Antonio.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Bicol and Gonzalez first played together in a high school band whose other members were chronically late to practice. While waiting, the two would jam, evolving into a \u201ctotally unserious side project\u201d that eventually became their main focus.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Young joined after sliding into their DMs, and they met Juarez through a chance encounter at a record shop.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Their musical backgrounds vary widely, encompassing country, rap, dad rock, jazz, emo, pop-punk and more. That eclecticism increasingly shows up in the group\u2019s songwriting. The new album This Might Be Useful, which dropped Sept. 4, is \u201call over the place,\u201d by the members\u2019 own admission.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The most recent singles, \u201cAre We Cool\u201d and \u201cEverything Is Nothing,\u201d blend raspy emo vocals, pop hooks, lovelorn lyrics and heavy indie rock guitar, suggesting INOHA has outgrown a single-genre label.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that\u2019s what I\u2019m most proud of all, is the way that our music bridges a whole bunch of people from different niches of music together,\u201d Juarez said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

If early-2010s indie was defined by a curated cool, INOHA\u2019s rewrite is defined by sincerity. They reject the idea that artists should be aloof. Instead, the band prioritizes accessibility.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I love your music, I want to know \u2014 who are you?\u201d Bicol said. \u201cWe\u2019re silly \u2026 we love food \u2026 we\u2019re just normal guys.\u201d<\/p>\n

That philosophy of sincerity has also guided their approach to social media, especially the band\u2019s Discord server, which has become a hub for INOHA superfans. Members get early access to merch, tour dates and unreleased songs.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Juarez said he\u2019ll sometimes answer emails at 2 a.m. while streaming a movie, and fans will hop in to watch at the same time.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a far cry from the mystique that has seemed so central to artists\u2019 brands in the past. But to the members of INOHA, it\u2019s exactly what today\u2019s fans want.\u00a0<\/p>\n

San Antonio has never been known as an indie-rock city, with its music scene instead favoring metal, punk, garage rock, Tejano and conjunto. And although these genres built strong followings, INOHA\u2019s rise suggests the group is more than an anomaly.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The band\u2019s accelerating success seems like a sign that the city\u2019s younger musicians are carving out space in a genre that once felt coastal or inaccessible.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"INOHA\u2019s first viral clip featured vocalist and rhythm guitarist Keanu Bicol lip synching while standing in a shopping cart. Credit: Courtesy Photo \/ INOHA<\/p>\n

Next up?<\/p>\n

The new album This Might Be Useful is a culmination of two years of nonstop writing, touring and learning how to keep pace with INOHA\u2019s own momentum.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The band\u2019s nationwide tour kicks off Saturday, Sept. 19, at Paper Tiger. The last San Antonio date came close to selling out, and this time, they\u2019re aiming for a full house.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOur ultimate goal is a completely sold-out headlining tour,\u201d Juarez said. \u201cEverything gone \u2014 VIP gone, general gone. That\u2019s the dream.\u201d<\/p>\n

But the band\u2019s ambitions go beyond ticket sales. They said they want longevity \u2014\u00a0a career that\u2019s durable enough to outlive algorithms and nostalgia cycles.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re always trying to grow and learn,\u201d Gonzalez said. \u201cFix any leaky pipes, put out fires, figure out the next step. Even when we\u2019re off tour, we\u2019re working our asses off.\u201d<\/p>\n

And beyond that?<\/p>\n

\u201cMy goal is to one day play with the Strokes,\u201d Bicol said. \u201cThat\u2019s the one.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a fitting, albeit audacious, aspiration for a group whose sound feels like a South Texan answer to the early aughts indie boom.<\/p>\n

INOHA\u2019s rise, though, is entirely of its own making. Instead of chasing New York cool, the act is building a brand rooted in scrappy attitude and San Antonio DIY ethos.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\tThe band\u2019s nationwide tour kicks off Saturday, Sept. 19, at Paper Tiger. The last San Antonio date came close to selling out, and this time, they\u2019re aiming for a full house.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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