On The Record with WNXP: Yard Act

Leeds’ four-piece Yard Act made a massive splash in a crowded post-punk wave with their 2022 debut The Overload. Frontman James Smith was impossible to ignore, and the band’s humorous approach to the genre was a refreshing addition to the established acts leading the scene.

On their follow-up Where’s My Utopia?, Smith’s charisma is still front and center, but a bit more self-reflective, and the agitated guitars have been replaced with synths and dance beats. Co-produced with Gorillaz member Remi Kabaka Jr., the disco-inspired dance-rock album drastically expands on their post-punk minimalism.

Watch Yard Act perform “Petroleum” and “Dream Job” from Where’s My Utopia? as well as 2022’s “Payday” live at WNXP’s Sonic Cathedral here.