Leeds music: Yard Act, Emma-Jean Thackray and breakthrough musicians giving Leeds the recognition it deserves

From jazz powerhouse Emma-Jean Thackray getting a MOBO nomination, to Yard Act smashing into the charts with their first album, there has been a flurry of recognition for the stellar artists who have carved out their careers in the city.

They’re putting Leeds on the map, but for any music fan living in the city, we already knew just how great the scene is.

Mint Warehouse, which hosts world-renowned DJs alongside the finest local talent, has recently celebrated its 10th anniversary - a particularly big achievement after the unimaginable pressure on nightclubs over the last two years.

Whatever your taste, there’s a live music scene to match it, from grime to acoustic and everything in between.

In today’s Big Leeds Weekend, I spoke to Bastille frontman Dan Smith about his time living in Leeds as a student.

He said he has the city, and the friends he made here, to thank “entirely” for his music career and he praised the collaboration among artists in the music scene.

“There’s such a great, supportive music scene,” he told me.

“Leeds is a rich and diverse cultural hub with loads to do, so many venues, bars and open mic nights to support new, young musicians.

"It was great to be in a city that had so much going on.”

There’s a reason many students and budding musicians are pulled to Leeds to launch their careers.

From projects to support up-and-coming-artists, like social enterprise Come Play With Me, to the many stars who have gone through Leeds Conservatoire - there’s a raft of opportunities to be grabbed.

And that support is more important now than ever before, as musicians grapple with the lasting effects of the pandemic.

But for some it was the making of their careers - art-punk five piece Eades went from a lockdown experiment to scooping a headline show at Brudenell last year.

Vocalist Harry Jordan told me that lockdowns shaped the Eades sound for the better.

He said: “We became a little machine - I’d record a bunch of instrumentals and send it to [vocalist and guitarist] Tom, he’d write the lyrics the next day and we’d go back and forth.

“We all started getting more creative and pulling from each other’s influences, that made everyone more passionate because it was something we could all put our stamp on.”

Such a young band would be forgiven for retreating when the pandemic hit, but that determination is something to be admired - and it’s echoed across the city’s music scene.

It’s going to be a big year for music in Leeds and I can’t wait to watch who breaks through next.

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