Yard Act

Yard Act represents both an end and a new beginning for the post-punk boom that exploded out of the UK in the late 2010s. On the band’s 2022 debut, The Overload, Yard Act channels the rich musical tradition of its members’ hometown of Leeds, where they formed from the ashes of several indie groups, including the Post War Glamour Girls and Menace Beach, in 2019. Singer James Smith unloads spoken word spiked with political satire, while bassist Ryan Needham, guitarist Sam Shipstone, and drummer Jay Russell lock onto tense, minimalist grooves. Its infectiousness translated into chart success and accolades, even catching the ear of Elton John, who re-recorded “100% Endurance” with them. But rather than become repetitive, Yard Act rebuilt post-punk from the ground up for 2024’s Where's My Utopia? Co-produced by Remi Kabaka Jr. of Gorillaz, the record zips in a hundred directions at once (dance music, hip-hop, Britpop, even Afrobeat) proving that Yard Act can create its own future.