Innovative British rock crew Yard Act seamlessly combines angular post-punk with classic indie-rock melodies while imbuing notes of Euro disco and rap. Their lyrics lean into the political, with the band covering such contemporary topics as capitalism, social class and gentrification in their wryly delivered songs.
Originally from Leeds, Yard Act comprises vocalist James Smith (formerly of Post War Glamour Girls), bassist Ryan Needham (formerly of Menace Beach), drummer George Townend, and guitarist Sammy Robinson. In 2016, Menace Beach and Post War Glamour Girls released a split EP together, and that got Smith and Needham talking about forming their own project.
In 2019, Yard Act was formed, and the duo moved into a house together in Meanwood, Leeds, before recruiting Robinson and Townend (who played together in Treeboy & Arc) to join. Robinson left shortly after joining, and the trio invited Sam Shjipstone to step in.
Yard Act had only recorded four songs at that point: "The Trapper's Pelts," "Fixer Upper" and "Peanuts," which they compiled into an EP, 2021's Dark Days. In January 2022, the band released their debut album, The Overload, via Island Records. The album featured five singles: a self-titled track, "Land of the Blind," "Payday," "Rich," and "Pour Another."
The Overload was met with overwhelming critical acclaim, with Metacritic rating it at 86 out of 100. The BBC also named Yard Act as "one to watch" on the network's 2022 shortlist. Paste Magazine also named Yard Act one of their "Best New Artists of 2021."
“Yard Act and The Overload... came to me at a point in my life where I felt like I was stuck in place,” Smith told SPIN in 2022. Of their constant comparisons to post-punk pioneers the Fall, Smith shrugged: "The comparisons are fine because I know we’ll outgrow them. We all have incredibly broad tastes… this is just where we’re at right now. We’ll know that we’re doing more than just being a Fall tribute band."
Get tickets to see Yard Act live on tour at Ticketmaster.
