In the land where dreams of “making it big” are co-opted by corporate sponsors and the sparks of artistic ingenuity are fanned to the point of exhaustion by an exploitative industry, it’s important to witness the roses from the concrete bloom naturally. The city of Los Angeles has been the epicenter of creative movements. It’s been a space where natural talent flourishes, even in the most remote spots. One Angeleno act to emerge from these hidden spaces is Yungatita, an artist who’s survived the last decade of playing in the Los Angeles scene. Yungatita is an artist born out of jumping from band to band and has played a myriad of small shows, but they’re finally moving up in the world of alternative rock music.
Yungatita is the moniker of Valentina Zapata, a Mexican-American non-binary artist who’s been writing and practicing music since age 14. Zapata is an East LA native, bouncing around the city throughout their adolescence, and has been an active member of its music scene since the early 2010s, witnessing bands from all corners of the punk rock space come and go in an unforgiving scene. “There were a lot of bands at the time in East LA, Montebello, San Gabriel Valley that were making some awesome music, all local, but none of them went anywhere in the grand scheme of things,” they share. “But the bands were still good. I’ve seen the scene go through so many different phases. But the one thing I did notice is that it’s very cyclical. Everything always comes back.”
After spending years playing for countless garage gigs for free beer and crowds of 10, Zapata found a band that sticks. Though Yungatita is Zapata’s stage name, they’re accompanied by four bandmates: Ernie Gutierrez, David Lopez, Gil Simo, and Christian Gurrola, who joined Zapata in 2018. After some time, they found their distinct sound in the alternative rock space, setting the stage for their debut project in January of 2024, Shoelace & A Knot. “This is a good starting point to where I want to go in the future, and I can’t wait to start working on the next album,” they say.
Yungatita’s music is shaped by Zapata’s upbringing, growing under the roof of an LA musician, and their growth with different musical trends from the last decade. From practicing piano at age five to sneaking out to watch shows in high school, Zapata’s upbringing resulted in a sound drenched in counter-culture and shaped by the likes of Deftones, Mick Jagger, and Modest Mouse. This love for punkish attitudes with whimsical choruses gave them a headstart on what they wanted their music to sound like.
Coupled with a “cracked ProTools and a shitty Macbook,” Zapata was performing right out of high school but eventually dedicated more time and energy to writing their own music, releasing it on Soundcloud. A handful of singles would garner a few dozen fans, but most importantly, it grabbed the attention of another LA artist, Katzu Oso. Zapata’s course in music changed significantly when they joined Oso as his backing guitarist in 2018. This is where Zapata would meet the key figures who would eventually become the established members of their band. Since then, the group of five has been inseparable in every process in and out of the studio.
I’ve seen the [Los Angeles punk rock] scene go through so many different phases. But the one thing I did notice is that it’s very cyclical. Everything always comes back.
Yungatita’s catalog is influenced by the dynamic chemistry the bandmates share. Each member is an active musician within different LA groups and spaces, but their dedication to hanging out and crafting music together leads to bright ideas in the studio and range in their sound. Their music explores popular sounds from the LA underground and carries a distinct brash and bold attitude while painting progressive streaks on traditional punk rock sensibilities. They have a song to capture every mood. The sleeper TikTok hit “7 Weeks & 3 Days” is a dreamy bedroom pop experiment featuring a spacy synth-led minimal beat, while songs like “Descenda” or “Whiplash” are heavy, distorted, and guitar-focused, more appropriate for when you want to mosh in a sweaty group of strangers.
There’s range to their discography, as well as a consistent level of songwriting. One moment from Shoelace & A Knot can be defined as an anthemic homage to backyard show culture, while another carries a much more laid-back tone, with an indie sleaze-inspired drum beat to match. “I don’t think this album says anything so profound. But in a softer way, I hope it tells you that it’s okay to go through shit. There are ways to find healing. We all suffer from something and that’s okay. That’s all I want to get across as an artist,” Zapata notes.
Yungatita is the personification of crafting music through organic relationships and taking your time. While Shoelace and A Knot was a few years in the making, it was the first step into a new musical journey. 2024 was a foundational step in a grandiose direction for Zapata, rewarding a decade of honing their craft in an ever-changing industry. Just this year, they released a debut with little to no press to commercial success and toured nationwide with major names like Cheekface and The Drums. And the group shows no sign of slowing down; they already have a new project set to drop in the summer of 2025.
