Yard Act have released their highly-anticipated new single ‘The Trench Coat Museum’ – check it out below.
Arriving yesterday (July 12), the standalone single marks the band’s first original music since the release of their Mercury Prize-nominated 2022 debut album ‘The Overload’.
According to the Leeds indie heroes, the song is one of reflection and self-awareness, and was co-produced by Gorillaz member Remi Kabaka Jr. Discussing the meaning behind the release, frontman James Smith elaborated on how the band have now reached a level of visibility which both “left us open to scrutiny and disdain just as much as love and appreciation.”
“‘The Trench Coat Museum’ is about how our perception of everything shifts both collectively and individually over time at speeds we simply can’t measure in the moment,” he added. “We often see our own beliefs as being at the absolute pinnacle of what should be the ‘cultural norm’, and whilst the completely human trait of being self-assured can’t be helped, it’s an absolute hindrance on our collective process.”
The track also comes featuring an accompanying music video, created alongside director James Slater. Discussing the futuristic vision captured in the visuals, Slater explained that the video “serves as a continuation and expansion of the Yard Act universe we explored on the first album”, and “coincides with their next album”. Check it out below.
Yard Act first teased the meaning behind the song in an interview with NME earlier this year, and revealed that while the song perfectly “sets up the second album”, it was released as a standalone single as it didn’t fit with “the narrative and the flow” of the upcoming LP.
“It’s really important to me that the story makes sense. I see it as an advert or a trailer for album two. It touches on the same themes,” explained Smith. “It’s basically about ego, perception, ownership and recognition.”
“That’s what the end of the song is about – me putting an image of myself in a glass case and framing my child. The only thing left of me that will matter is my blood and what I pass on. Anything beyond that is just fucking window dressing.”
Before the indie rockers announce any further details on their forthcoming second album — one which they told NME was “about getting everything you ever wanted and realising that the misery and problems still exist all the same” — they are set to play numerous festival dates.
This includes slots at Latitude, Fuji Rocks and Boardmasters, as well as opening the main stage at Reading & Leeds festival this summer.
A string of North American headline tour dates have also been announced, kicking off at the Minneapolis Fine Line venue on September 13. From there, the band will make stops at Nashville, Atlanta, Austin and more, before ending with a show in Dallas on November 15. Visit here for tickets and more information.
In other Yard Act news, earlier this year, the band made headlines at their five-night residency at Leeds’ Brudenell Social Club, after they were joined onstage by a stellar lineup of comedians, including Phill Jupitus, Nish Kumar, Lolly Adefope, and Harry Hill.