Yard Act

Few Leeds bands have been as hard to file as Yard Act, the English post-punk quartet whose vocals are ranted rather than sung. James Smith's lyrics tackle capitalism, gentrification and social class with dark humour and cynical storytelling, sometimes drifting into surrealism, as on "Payday". Critics have grouped the music under crank wave, post-punk and indie rock, borrowing from 1970s Italo disco, 90s hip-hop and early 2000s indie.

The band took shape in September 2019, when Smith and bassist Ryan Needham, both formerly of other Leeds groups, moved into a house together in Meanwood. Their debut album, The Overload, arrived in January 2022 to widespread critical acclaim, debuted at No. 2 on the UK Albums Chart and earned a Mercury Music Prize nomination. A re-recorded "100% Endurance" with Elton John followed that July. Where's My Utopia?, produced by Remi Kabaka Jr., came in March 2024, and the third album, You're Gonna Need a Little Music, was written, recorded and performed as a live band before its July 2026 release.