WNXP played “The Overload,” the lead single and title track from British band Yard Act’s debut full-length released in early 2022, way before most American radio stations did. (Yes, we’re bragging.) We liked it so much we covered The Overload as Record of the Week and then the on-air staff voted that whip-smart, guitar-forward batch of songs our Top Album of 2022.
Throughout non-stop touring behind The Overload in the past 18 months, Yard Act has found pockets of time to record new material at different studios abroad, working with collaborators both new (producer Remi Kabaka, Jr. of Gorillaz) and reunited (Ross Horton, who mixed the Dark Days EP).
Now, our first taste of the quartet’s evolution is the new single “The Trench Coat Museum,” which actually won’t appear on the final track list of the sophomore LP out next year, but more so serves as a preview of what’s to come. Singer and lyricist James Smith said, “It sets up the second album, but within the narrative of the album it doesn’t really fit.” As he told NME back in late May, “The narrative and the flow of an album is so important. It’s really important to me that the story makes sense. I see [“The Trench Coat Museum”] as an advert or a trailer for album two. It touches on the same themes.”
Although I’d just seen Yard Act play this new one live at Primavera Sound Festival, where we spoke backstage, I was surprised to learn that “The Trench Coat Museum” spans over eight minutes. “It’s a wig-out, it’s a jam…a lot of bongos, a lot of cowbell,” said Smith. “And it’s damn good.”
Yard Act just announced that their fall tour brings them (for the first time!) to Nashville on November 9 at the Basement East. I’ll see you then and there in the pit. In the meantime, enjoy the Leeds group’s new single, “The Trench Coat Museum,” on 91.ONE WNXP.