Yard Act are working on their third album with former Nine Inch Nails touring member Justin Meldal-Johnsen.
The indie rock band – comprising James Smith, Ryan Needham, Sam Shipstone, and Jay Russell – have confirmed they are back in the studio preparing their follow-up to 2024’s Top 5 LP Where’s My Utopia?.
Yard Act are working on the new record at Nave Studios in their native Leeds, West Yorkshire.
In a recent Instagram update, the band penned: “Hello from @nave_studios, where we’re making the greatest third album any band has ever recorded, with our new pal @justinmeldaljohnsen.”
They include a series of shots from the studio to mark BBC 6 Music T Shirt Day.
The band added: “Thought we’d celebrate @bbc6music #tshirtday by repping @kurtvile @badbrainsofficial @theofficialnapalmdeath @nuha__ruby__ra__ and Bill Nelson.”
As for Meldal-Johnsen’s CV, he worked as Beck’s musical director between 1996 and 2016, before hitting the road again with him in 2023.
The producer was touring bassist, guitarist and keyboardist for Nine Inch Nails in 2008 and 2009.
His production credits include Wolf Alice’s Visions Of A Life and St. Vincent’s All Born Screaming.
The band worked on their previous album, the disco-leaning Where’s My Utopia?, with non-virtual Gorillaz member Remi Kabaka Jr.
Yard Act’s 2022 debut album The Overload – which was nominated for the Mercury Prize – narrowly missed out on the number one spot, reaching number two behind Years and Years’ Night Call in the Official UK Album Chart.