This week’s song of the week theme is local! I want to discuss a few local bands (with a few liberties) based near to where I’m from (Leeds!).

First up: Yard Act. Though technically not from Leeds, they say they are from there and really treat it as home, so I am very much giving them a pass. I discovered this band before their first album release; sometime around summer 2021. I remember the release of “The Overload” single, particularly watching the music video in my CS class (instead of doing my work - oops).

In January of the next year they released their first album, for which they had a pop up at my favourite local venue (the Brudenell). We met the band and they were doing custom vinyl covers which were painted by the tyre of the golden rover (albeit it was broken down so, instead of rolling over the covers, they just kinda slapped the cover on the tyre with paint).

I have subsequently seen them at least 5 times (most likely more). One particular highlight was their 5 day residency at the Brudenell with comedians as support. Me and a friend chose the night with Nish Kumar who was brilliant and a fun idea. I think it would have been funny to see the Harry Hill night, but I really can’t beat Yard Act and Nish Kumar singing Tubthumping by Chumbawamba - quite the experience.

Onto some recommendations: - Dead Horse - 100% Endurance - Vineyard for the North

Next up: English Teacher. The first time I remember hearing about English Teacher was when a load of my friends went off to see Sports Team, with English Teacher and Courting supporting. Quite a loaded line up! I remember this being sometime at the back end of 2021. I’ve seen them a few times, though most memorably also at the Brudenell. The thing that makes it so memorable was Lily (the main singer) recognising me from a festival I had been to just a couple weeks before (a little bit of my claim to fame). In the very same conversation my friend, Abe, was trying to convince me to go to another festival the weekend coming up (I would have had to bunk off work), which Lily also subsequently tried to convince me to do it too!

Their debut album, released last year, very much deserved the Mercury Prize. It was the culmination of many great eps and singles prior to it, with them improving their sound and feel through each. Every song on that album is a hit and the range they display is so very impressive. I do also really enjoy the album artwork - done by the Lily’s mother and of a place near to my home.

It has been very satisfying to see the band grow so much because I truly believe they deserve it so so much. The progression of such a small crowd at the first festival I went to see them at to then them packing out the room when I last saw them at Live at Leeds made me feel so happy for them.

Some recommendations: - R&B - Sideboob - Nearly Daffodils

Last, but not least: Shaene. I actually discovered Shaene through the phoenix that rose from the ashes of Priestgate (the band Velkro). I wanted to see what the band members were doing with their new project because often they carry on with similar stuff and it’s often still great. For a good example recently, see the transformation of Regressive Left into The Itch; a delight to find!

I went to see them in December of 2023, with Shaene supporting. It was at a time I was really heavily questioning my identity and was interacting with a lot of trans media. So it was really meaningful to me to see a trans artist in a local venue just performing their art and singing about their experiences with being trans in such a raw way. Her voice isn’t perfect, but I think this only makes the performance more real and personal. I hope Shaene continues to make great music like this and really help other people like it helped me at such a critical time in my life.

I would give some individual recommendations, but I think it’s wholly just worth listening to her album time lost / time regained. I’ve chosen the song “snot” from this album, mainly because of the meaning it holds for me, I listened to it so much around the period before I started coming out to my friends. Just listening to it now and thinking about it has me on the verge of tears.

There’s a lot of bands I have missed or omitted, but these are some of the most interesting or important ones to me.

I do want to add a little note, that just like it is important to buy local produce, it’s also really important to support the local music scene. Not only are independent venues going through it (it seems like every week I hear about a venue that has had to move or has gone under), but it’s really important to support the culture, because how else are we supposed to have new bands crop up that aren’t just nepo babies. Regardless of the importance of it, I think it’s just such a good way of finding new and interesting music. Some of my favourite stuff comes from support bands and those I just go see on a whim. All this to say, support your local music scene, it’s important.

Song of the Week:

See my friend Sof’s song of the week here!