Where’s My Utopia?

Yard Act have today announced their new album Where My Utopia? alongside its lead single & video ‘Dream Job’.

Out on 1 March 2024 via Island, Where’s My Utopia? is the follow up to the Leeds band’s critically-acclaimed debut record The Overload which arrived in January 2022. The Overload was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize after a slew of positive reviews, national radio playlistings and a placing at #2 in the Official Charts. The new album is a co-production between Yard Act and Gorillaz member Remi Kabaka Jr. ‘Dream Job’s video was directed by James Slater, the band and director’s 7th collaboration (“with many more to come”).

Having already announced a huge run of shows in the UK and EU for spring 2024 – including the Eventim Apollo Hammersmith on 27 March – Yard Act have today revealed plans for their biggest hometown show to date at the 5,750 capacity Millennium Square Leeds on 3 August. For access to tickets, General sale for Millenium Square is on 10 November.

Speaking about ‘Dream Job’, Yard Act’s James Smith said: “‘Dream Job’ feels like an apt introduction to the themes explored on Where’s My Utopia? – though not all encompassing. In part I was scrutinising and mocking myself for being a moaning ungrateful little brat, whilst also trying to address how the music industry is this rather uncontrollable beast that hurtles forward unthinkingly and every single person involved in it plays their part. Myself included, obviously. As with pretty much everything else going through my head last year, trying to find the right time to articulate the complexity of emotions I was feeling and the severity to which I was feeling them couldn’t be found – or accommodated, so instead I tried to capture it in a pop song that lasts less than three minutes once the fog had cleared a bit. It’s good and bad. I’m still glad that everything that happened to me happened.”