Biography
Yard Act, the Leeds outfit, fuse a lean post-punk edge with an eclectic mix of dance-pop, Afrobeat, hip-hop and additional genres, all underscored by their trademark wry humor. Early singles such as the 2020 track “The Trapper’s Pelts” and the 2021 EP Dark Days helped them cultivate a loyal following. Once they joined Island Records, the group delivered their Mercury Prize-nominated debut album The Overload in 2022, a record steeped in socio-political themes and post-punk drive that climbed to number two on the U.K. chart. A subsequent team-up with Elton John on a revised “100% Endurance” paved the way for their 2024 follow-up Where’s My Utopia?, which they co-produced alongside Gorillaz’s Remi Kabaka, Jr.
The project originated in 2019 when vocalist James Smith and bassist Ryan Needham began shaping a spare indie-rock sound; guitarists Sam Shjipstone and drummer Jay Russell later completed the lineup. Just as they started performing live, the 2020 pandemic halted shows, prompting the band to concentrate on recordings. They launched their own Zen F.C. imprint and issued material beginning with the quirky “Trapper’s Pelts,” produced by Bill Ryder-Jones. Tracks including “Fixer Upper” and “Peanuts” were later collected on Dark Days.
Island’s support led to increased visibility, including a U.K. television debut on Later… With Jools Holland and radio exposure for singles such as “The Overload” and “Payday.” The Overload arrived in January 2022, reached number two on the British album chart, and earned a Mercury Prize nomination. That July the band released a new version of “100% Endurance” featuring Elton John, paired with a refreshed take on his “Tiny Dancer.”
Returning to the studio with material developed on the road, Yard Act enlisted Remi Kabaka, Jr. as co-producer. Their first release from these sessions, the mid-2023 standalone single “The Trench Coat Museum,” signaled a shift. While their debut had leaned on fictional vignettes, the March 2024 album Where’s My Utopia? drew extensively on personal experiences of sudden fame. More ambitious and stylistically unbound than its predecessor, the record weaves together strands of Fela Kuti, Ennio Morricone and 2000s dance-pop alongside the group’s signature post-punk framework, socio-political commentary and spoken-word passages.
The project originated in 2019 when vocalist James Smith and bassist Ryan Needham began shaping a spare indie-rock sound; guitarists Sam Shjipstone and drummer Jay Russell later completed the lineup. Just as they started performing live, the 2020 pandemic halted shows, prompting the band to concentrate on recordings. They launched their own Zen F.C. imprint and issued material beginning with the quirky “Trapper’s Pelts,” produced by Bill Ryder-Jones. Tracks including “Fixer Upper” and “Peanuts” were later collected on Dark Days.
Island’s support led to increased visibility, including a U.K. television debut on Later… With Jools Holland and radio exposure for singles such as “The Overload” and “Payday.” The Overload arrived in January 2022, reached number two on the British album chart, and earned a Mercury Prize nomination. That July the band released a new version of “100% Endurance” featuring Elton John, paired with a refreshed take on his “Tiny Dancer.”
Returning to the studio with material developed on the road, Yard Act enlisted Remi Kabaka, Jr. as co-producer. Their first release from these sessions, the mid-2023 standalone single “The Trench Coat Museum,” signaled a shift. While their debut had leaned on fictional vignettes, the March 2024 album Where’s My Utopia? drew extensively on personal experiences of sudden fame. More ambitious and stylistically unbound than its predecessor, the record weaves together strands of Fela Kuti, Ennio Morricone and 2000s dance-pop alongside the group’s signature post-punk framework, socio-political commentary and spoken-word passages.
Albums
Singles
