Alt-J Biography

Alt-J is a British indie rock band from Leeds that found success with the album “This Is All Yours”.

Early Beginnings

The band was formed in 2007 at Leeds University, where Gwil Sainsbury (guitarist-bassist), Joe Newman (vocalist-guitarist), Gus Unger-Hamilton (keyboardist-vocalist) and Thom Green (drummer) met.

Debut and Touring

Just after a few months of graduating, they were offered a record deal with Infectious Music in 2011. “∆” was released as an EP with tracks like “Breezeblocks” and “Tessellate”. Their 2012 debut album was released as “An Awesome Wave” in Europe, Australia, and the US. It encountered a good critical response. The same year Alt-J embarked on a series of concerts and festivals around the world. In late 2012 they won the Mercury Prize for their album thus propelling it to number 13 in the UK Album charts.

Changes and “This Is All Yours”

Guitarist/bassist Gwil Sainsbury left Alt-J in early 2014 on friendly terms. The band continued as a trio. After a North American tour, they released their second album “This Is All Yours” reaching number 1 in UK’s Album Chart. In March 2017 they hinted to a new album and released the single “3WW” online.

Photo credits: Relix