The three-piece first started life as a duo. Oli and Andy were born in the same Wolverhampton hospital and have been friends since nursery. A few years later they met New Zealand-born Elliot at a London party and the band was complete. When it came to deciding on a name the boys looked to the animal world, after being inspired by The Swans, as they felt it wouldn’t pigeon hole them to a genre and Yak felt right, an animal Oli now describes as a “plain posh cow.” For their current EP Yak have worked with top-name producers like Pulp’s Steve Mackey. The trio also bring in high-fashion credentials through lead singer Oli, who has already made his Burberry campaign debut (his young Mick Jagger looks are becoming a firm favourite of the fashion crowd), while their cover illustration was created by Alexander McQueen-favoured illustrator Nick Waplington. -Naomi Pike
Jack White ne s’y est pas trompé en signant le groupe sur son label Third Man Records : Yak est certainement une réponse à la morosité ambiante. Leurs morceaux joués droit dans le mur, concassent les guitares et les orgues tordus et distordus. Les Londoniens n’ont besoin que de 3 minutes pour convaincre tant leur musique est urgente et efficace. Ils viennent de Londres mais on jurerait voir les fantômes du Sud des Etats Unis se pavaner au dessus de leurs morceaux. Concert très remarqué à Bourges cette année.
