Say it with us now, “Punk Rock Yoga”. Not exactly three words you’d expect to hear in the same sentence, right? But that’s exactly what you get when you combine the zen-trepreneurial spirit of Sanuk ambassador JAYSEA DEVOE and THE AQUADOLLS…
Who? What? Allow us to explain: In 2014, at just 12 years old, Jaysea was heralded as the world’s “youngest professionally certified yoga instructor” – a title alone that often bends minds into shapes beyond comprehension. GOOGLE IT. It’s been a few year since she could claim that official title, but getting a little older hasn’t stopped her from doin’ big things. You see, Jaysea doesn’t just go with the flow, she creates it. Always evolving. Always trying new things. Open to opportunity and whatever comes with it.
Yogi. Water person. Daughter. Entrepreneur. Twin. Graduate. In no particular order, please and thank you!
Jaysea has been a Sanuk ambassador for a few years now and though she’s completed 18 quick trips around the sun, she’s wise well beyond her years. Besides sharing the powers of yoga with all ages on the regular, Jaysea recently stared applying her ambition to all sorts of unique pursuits and outlets. You may remember HER CIRCUMNAVIGATION AROUND CATALINA ISLAND that happened on a whim? Well she’s hopped off the prone paddle board (for now) and into a bus… Okay, van*. A band’s van to be more specific…
Rollin’ with the homies…
Enter: THE AQUADOLLS, a bad-ass assembly of rockers (pictured above) fueled by in-your-face fun. The all-girl band was founded by MELISSA BROOKS in 2012 and with California as home base their sound is a true (and refreshing) reflection of their mixed roots. Tongue-in cheek lyrics, hard-hitting licks, and soothing vocal harmonies all bundled into one for the world to enjoy. Their catalog includes a mix of sounds – from ska to surf rock, subtle pop to hardcore punk. Just don’t let their youthful energies fool you, the Aquadolls, not unlike Jaysea, are hellbent on having as much fun as possible but heart-set on helping to make sure anyone who’s with them is doing the same…
So when Jaysea saw the band play down in San Diego earlier this year, she knew she’d found kindred spirits. They sparked an instant friendship potent enough to combine forces from a professional stand point: Jaysea testing the water of band management (which runs deep in her family tree) and the band doing what they do best– kicking out the jams.
The Aquadolls LIVE. New fans loving it.
For the Aquadolls’ 2019 summer tour, Jaysea served as co-tour manager as the group carried out stops along the California coast. When she wasn’t behind the wheel, roping in logistics or making sure merch was magical, she rolled out the mats for yoga teachings. These short sessions, sometimes held at remote truck stops, served as the breath of “fresh” air on roadside refuels. While the pitstops might’ve seemed silly at first, the band soon fell enamored with the soul-satisfying sanity checks. Moments to pause. Chances to collect. Calm nagging nerves. While some had dabbled with yoga in the past, this was their first, full-fledged opportunity to bring new balance to the wild release to performing loud jams in front of live audiences.
Off the stage and onto the mat… in the middle of nowhere.
Ask any musician, being on the road ain’t always glamorous–– especially for a young, all-female band trying to “make it” the right way. Zoom in and tour life can be grueling, stressful and down right draining physically and emotionally. Zoom out and find out the music industry still has a long way to go to becoming a truly fair playing field. Powerful vibe meets changing tides…
If you’ve read this far (high five!) you’ll want double back to the top and scope their latest tour diary, a rockumentary of sorts– to see what happens when the aforementioned young-yogi turned music-industry-intern and her new pals pile-in, play their hearts out and take a few big deep breaths along the way… Namaste!
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For on Jaysea Devoe, follow her flow on IG HERE.
For all things Aquadolls, you’re gonna want to go HERE & HERE.