Elton John finally gets to chat to Yard Act: “I would love to catch up in person”

nme.com:

Elton John spoke to his new favourite band Yard Act on his Rocket Hour radio show this week, telling the group he would “love to catch up” with them in person.John praised the rising Leeds outfit during an interview with NME last October, describing their musical style as “a different ballgame”.

He added: “I can’t do it but I love it and I wonder how they do it.”Earlier this month, Yard Act frontman James Smith told NME that it was “mind-blowing” to receive an endorsement from the legendary artist. “I want to write some lyrics for him,” he said. “I’m hoping we’ll bump into him at some point.”The band also shared a cover of the singer’s classic single ‘Tiny Dancer’, “‘cause our new best pal Elton has been so kind about us in the press recently”.With their debut album ‘The Overload’ in a tight race to this week’s UK Number One, Yard Act finally got to chat with their most famous fan on his Apple Music 1 show, Rocket Hour.“As you probably know, I’m a big fan and have been since I first heard your first record,” John told the band.“‘Fixer Up’ was the first thing I heard, and then I saw the video, and then I fell in love with your lyrics, and I fell in love with how you delivered the song.

And I just thought, ‘God, this is such a breath of fresh air’.”He continued: “And I like the fact that young acts are actually writing about what we’ve become, what the world is like now, how unjust it is, how awful it is.

As you know, I can’t write a lyric to save my life, so I’m very envious of your ability to do that with a sense of humour, but also hitting it home.”John went on to attribute Yard Act’s skyrocketing success to the group’s “incredible energy”, explaining: “It’s not boring, it’s right in your face, and I think that’s.