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Leading the sprechgesang wave; Yard Act combine post punk, deconstructed disco and hip hop beats with a wry Yorkshire humour as head on breakthrough EP Dark Days and debut album The Overload.

Initially the side project of James Smith (vocals, lyrics) from Post War Glamour Girls and Ryan Needham (bass) of Menace Beach; the Leeds lads were joined by guitarist Sam Shipstone and Jay Russell on drums from Treeboy & Arc to complete the indie supergroup.

Their anecdotal take on politics and BREXIT British malaise combines satirical spoken word with wiry guitar riffs and break beat rhythms chimed with audiences, and critics were quick to name them as the breakthrough band to watch.

Intense touring combined with frequent festival appearances solidified their grassroots fanbase, backed up by considerable airplay support by BBC 6music. The graft and hype translated into substantial mainstream success, rising higher on festival circuit roster with first record The Overload narrowly missing out on hitting No. 1 upon release in January 2022.

Artist Bio

Yard Act are a minimalist rock group based in Leeds, UK. Formed in 2019, Yard Act began life when friends Ryan Needham (Bass) and James Smith (Vocals) started creating minimalist rock tracks using a primitive drum machine and borrowed bass guitar. Later drafting in George Townend on drums, and Sammy Robinson on guitars whom they met at their spiritual home The Brudenell Social Club, they played a handful of shows to a rapt reception before you-know-what intervened. No matter: ingenuity and artistry enabled them to great their debut release. Overflowing with satirical one-liners, A side ‘Fixer Upper’ follows a cocksure fictional character, ‘Graeme’, planning some home renovations. Yard Act co-instigator Smith explains: “Graeme was inspired by an amalgamation of people who lived on my street growing up. I think everyone knows a Graeme, maybe a neighbour or an uncle… sorry if he’s your dad. Not a bad man at heart, he just sincerely believes he’s from a country and generation that achieved the apex of everything so therefore can’t ever be wrong about anything.” Drafting in Ross Orton (who’s credits include Arctic Monkeys, Working Men's Club’s, MIA, Amyl & the Sniffers) on mixing duties, it is equal parts fearsome and funny and never less than breath-taking. On the flip side, ‘The Trapper’s Pelts’ is a satirical take on neoliberalism. James Smith explains, “It skewers elements of the American frontier into a Scarface-type narrative set against the backdrop of a mundane West Yorkshire suburb.” Produced by Bill Ryder Jones (The Coral) prior to lockdown the recording process of the track “felt like a Happy Mondays thing, keeping the drums tight and high up in the mix like a dance mix.” Housed in a screen printed wraparound sleeve (individually printed by Ryan from the band), it’s a debut single to be treasured.