Book alt-J

Alt-J won the Mercury Prize in 2012 for its debut album, An Awesome Wave, a record that announced the Leeds band's intricate mix of indie rock, folk and electronic textures through songs like "Breezeblocks," "Matilda" and "Tessellate." Formed in 2007 by students who met at the University of Leeds, the band today centers on singer and guitarist Joe Newman, keyboardist and singer Gus Unger-Hamilton and drummer Thom Sonny Green. The name comes from the keyboard shortcut that types the Greek delta symbol, Δ, on a Mac, the mathematical sign for change and the band's actual logo. Second album This Is All Yours (2014), with "Left Hand Free" and "Every Other Freckle," earned the group a Grammy nomination for Best Alternative Music Album. Relaxer followed in 2017 along with a major world tour, and The Dream (2022) showed the band still refining its sound a decade into its career. Alt-J also received the James Joyce Award from University College Dublin's Literary and Historical Society. With Newman's distinctive voice and arrangements built on unusual rhythms and harmonies, the trio has kept a loyal international following across four albums.