# Yard Act

Yard Act are a British rock band from Leeds, West Yorkshire, composed of James Smith (vocals, lyrics), Ryan Needham (bass), Sam Shipstone (guitar) and Jay Russell (drums). Their debut album, The Overload, was released on 21 January 2022 and debuted at No. 2 on the UK Albums Chart. They released their second album, Where's My Utopia?, on 1 March 2024.

## History

Prior to forming the band, 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 Shipstone. 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.
Their debut album The Overload was released on 21 January 2022. The group was "one to watch" in the BBC's Sound of 2022 shortlist. The group was also named one of Paste's "Best New Artists of 2021". On 1 July 2022, a re-recorded version of "100% Endurance" was released featuring a collaboration with Elton John.
Their second album, Where's My Utopia?, was released on 1 March 2024.

## Musical style

Critics have categorised 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 humour and cynical storytelling". Their lyrics also take a surrealist style, such as on the song "Payday" from their first album.

## Members

* James Smith
* Ryan Needham
* Sam Shipstone
* Jay Russell
Current
* James Smith – lead vocals (2019–present)
* Ryan Needham – bass, backing vocals (2019–present)
* Sam Shipstone – guitar, backing vocals (2020–present)
* Jay Russell – drums, percussion (2020–present)
Current touring musicians
* Christopher Duffin – keyboards, percussion, saxophone, sampler (2022–present)
* Daisy Smith – backing vocals, percussion, dancing (2024–present)
* Lauren Fitzpatrick – backing vocals, percussion, dancing (2024–present)
Former
* Sammy Robinson – guitar (2019–2020)
* George Townend – drums (2019–2020)

## Discography
### Studio albums

List of studio albums, with selected details and chart positions :
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions |
| Title | Details | UK | AUS | BEL (FL) | SCO |
| The Overload | Released: 21 January 2022 Label: Island, Zen F.C. Formats: LP, CD, cassette, digital download, streaming | 2 | 89 | 148 | 1 |
| Where's My Utopia? | Released: 1 March 2024 Label: Island, Zen F.C. Formats: LP, CD, cassette, digital download, streaming | 4 | — | 156 | 5 |

### Extended plays

| Title | Details |
| Dark Days | Released: 19 January 2021 Label: Zen F.C. Formats: 12-inch vinyl, CD, cassette, digital download, streaming |
| 100% Endurance (Elton John Version) | Released: 1 July 2022 Label: Universal Music Operations Limited Formats: 7-inch vinyl, digital download, streaming |

### Singles

| Title | Year | Album |
| "The Trapper's Pelts" | 2020 | Dark Days EP |
| "Fixer Upper" | 2020 | Dark Days EP |
| "Peanuts" | 2020 | Dark Days EP |
| "Dark Days" | 2021 | Dark Days EP |
| "The Overload" | 2021 | The Overload |
| "Land of the Blind" | 2021 | The Overload |
| "Payday" | 2021 | The Overload |
| "Rich" | 2022 | The Overload |
| "Pour Another" | 2022 | The Overload |
| "100% Endurance" | 2022 | The Overload |
| "The Trench Coat Museum" | 2023 | Non-album single |
| "Dream Job" | 2023 | Where's My Utopia? |
| "Petroleum" | 2023 | Where's My Utopia? |
| "We Make Hits" | 2024 | Where's My Utopia? |
| "When The Laughter Stops" (featuring Katy J Pearson) | 2024 | Where's My Utopia? |

## Accolades

| Year | Association | Category | Nominated work | Result |
| 2021 | Anchor | Reeperbahn Festival International Music Award | Yard Act | Won |
| 2022 | NME Awards | Best New Act in the World | Yard Act | Nominated |
| 2022 | NME Awards | Best New Act from the UK | Yard Act | Nominated |
| 2022 | SXSW | Grulke Prize 'Developing Non-U.S. Act' | Yard Act | Won |
| 2022 | Mercury Prize | Album of the Year | The Overload | Shortlisted |