Yard Act – in session – Maida Vale Studios – Steve Lamacq – December 2, 2022 – BBC 6 Music –
Yard Act, recorded live earlier today at the BBC’s Maida Vale studios for Steve Lamacq at BBC 6 Music.
First session for Lamacq, debut album out only since January and only together for three years. They covered a lot of ground in a short period of time, and with a pandemic sandwiched in between.
Yard Act comprise of James Smith (vocals, lyrics), Ryan Needham (bass), Sam Shjipstone (guitar) and Jay Russell (drums). Their debut album The Overload was released on 21 January 2022 and debuted at number 2 on the UK Albums Chart. The band first got together in 2019. Prior to forming Yard Act, vocalist James Smith and bassist Ryan Needham had both been members of other Leeds-based bands. Smith was a member of Post War Glamour Girls and Needham played in Menace Beach, two bands that released a split EP together in 2016. After the release of the EP, the pair began discussing forming a band together, a plan that eventually came to fruition in September 2019, when the pair moved into a house together in Meanwood. They soon recruited guitarist Sammy Robinson and drummer George Townend who played together in Treeboy & Arc. During this period, Robinson departed from the group, leading to the recruitment of Sam Shjipstone. Prior to the announcement of their debut album, the band had only released a total of four singles independently. These singles were then compiled onto an EP, titled Dark Days, released in 2021.
Critics have categorized the band’s music as post-punk and indie rock. Often making use of elements of 1970s Italo disco, ’90s hip-hop and early 2000s indie rock.
Their lyrics are often political, discussing opposition to topics including capitalism, gentrification and social class, told using “dark humor and cynical storytelling”. Their lyrics also take a surrealist style, such as on the song Payday from their first album.
Here’s their first for Steve Lamacq recorded only hours ago. Crank it up and enjoy – the weekend is coming.
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