Yard Act are the cover stars of DIY’s June 2026 issue!

Back when Yard Act first unleashed their eviscerating debut single - 2020’s ‘The Trapper’s Pelts’ - on the world it was clear from the off that this was a special band indeed. Now, six years on, the Leeds quartet are back for another round, this time with their third - and, undeniably, best - album, marking a new bold new chapter for the band. While they’ve never exactly been known as the shy and retiring types, there’s a new zeal and bite to ‘You’re Gonna Need A Little Music’ which feels like an antidote for our times, and we’re immensely excited to have the band back on our cover to celebrate.

“Ultimately, a little music feels like not much,” says frontman James Smith in the cover feature, reflecting on their new LP’s title. “But it’s not, it’s a lot to a lot of people, including myself. A little music goes a long way, and it can carry you, it can get you through tough times. The ‘gonna’ implies that there’s something worse coming, you know what I mean? We live in a constant state of anxiety, where imminent threat is always on the horizon. So to know that there’s already something in our artillery that will help us beat that, I think that’s kind of sweet, you know?”

Elsewhere this issue, Death Cab For Cutie’s Ben Gibbard gets a little reflective in light of the band’s 11th(!) record, we indulge in a spot of daydreaming with Let’s Eat Grandma’s Rosa Walton, and head back to Colchester with Graham Coxon to chat about finally releasing ‘Castle Park’ (not to mention is hypothetical life playing with Oasis…).

Also joining the fun this month are beloved indie mainstays Swim Deep, soul sensation Jalen Ngonda, and Black Country punk-poets BIG SPECIAL, while Danish disruptors Iceage contemplate their colourful career to date and Maisie Peters blossoms as June’s In Deep digital cover star. 

If that’s not enough, our regular new music section - Neu - sees us meet rising stars Bleech 9:3, Chanpan, and Tooth, while our reviews pages are packed with the DIY verdict on new albums from Macca, Vince Staples, Violet Grohl and loads more! Finally, we round things out in style with everyone’s fave SNL UK star (and Princess Diana impressionist) Jack Shep, who designs his dream gig as our June back page special guest. 

So go on - get stuck in! Just click the button below to grab your very own print copy of our June 2026 issue, order via our online shop, or check out the digital edition below.