Yard Act: 'Fixer Upper'
One of Leeds’ most exciting post-punk quartets, Yard Act, have turned heads with their witty lyricism and hammering instrumental arrangements. Their second single ‘Fixer Upper’ follows their successful debut, ‘The Trapper’s Pelts’, which caught the attention of BBC Radio 1’s Jack Saunders, Radio X’s John Kennedy, and Radio 6, already identifying them as a band on the rise.
‘Fixer Upper’ is a tongue-in-cheek narrative about Graeme, a character “inspired by an amalgamation of people who lived on my street growing up. I think everyone knows a Graeme, maybe a neighbour or an uncle… sorry if he’s your dad. Not a bad man at heart, he just sincerely believes he’s from a country and generation that achieved the apex of everything so therefore can’t ever be wrong about anything,” says Smith.
Written in lyrical quick-fire, between two rooms in Needham’s home, the track is laden with humorous one-liners, reminiscent of Mark E. Smith ramblings, and delivered in a continuous, obnoxious monologue from the very beginning; “We’re gonna put Poundshop terracotta frogs everywhere”, “Got a Prosecco o’clock poster half price in Ikea / goes nicely with the existential fear I feel” and “I’m not minted, I earnt it, it it’s not some / funny voodoo business” to list a few.
Accompanying the character-driven lyricism are persistent drum kicks, a trenchant guitar and instrumental interplay, and whilst Graeme’s character “is a dying breed” claims Smith, Yard Act breathe an amusing and new direction to post-punk songwriting, showcasing their capabilities as budding wordsmiths.
