Alt-J
Artist profile

Alt-J

Alt-J formed when Joe Newman, Gus Unger-Hamilton, and Gwilym Sainsbury met as students at Leeds University. They started playing together under the name...

album57 lyric pages photo_library28 photos groups8 listeners here now Editor's note live
person Curated by Ethan Walker LyroVerse team
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Editor's note

Alt-J's layered harmonies and atmospheric arrangements

The Leeds University trio won the Mercury Prize with their 2012 debut 'An Awesome Wave' and has built a catalog of textured, melodic songs.

If you want to hear what they do, start with 'Breezeblocks' from that first album. It's all there, the tension, the harmonies, the way they build a song.

When 'An Awesome Wave' won the Mercury Prize in 2012, it announced a band that didn't sound like anyone else. Songs like 'Breezeblocks' and 'Taro' showed how they could build entire worlds with layered harmonies and atmospheric arrangements. That approach has held through four albums, including 2022's 'The Dream'.

They met as students at Leeds University, first calling themselves Daljit Dhaliwal before settling on Alt-J. After 'An Awesome Wave' broke through, they followed with 'This Is All Yours' in 2014 and 'Relaxer' in 2017, which featured a collaboration with Iggy Pop.

edit_note Ethan Walker · LyroVerse team · Apr 20
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LyroVerse editor's notes are short interpretation guides, not final verdicts. If something needs a correction, visit About or Contact.

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57 lyric pages live 28 photos available Editor's note live Video on page
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Background notes

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Alt-J formed when Joe Newman, Gus Unger-Hamilton, and Gwilym Sainsbury met as students at Leeds University. They started playing together under the name Daljit Dhaliwal before settling on Alt-J.

Their 2012 debut album 'An Awesome Wave' won the Mercury Prize and introduced songs like 'Breezeblocks' and 'Taro.' The record established their sound with its layered harmonies and atmospheric arrangements.

They followed with 'This Is All Yours' in 2014 and 'Relaxer' in 2017, which included a collaboration with Iggy Pop. Their 2022 album 'The Dream' continued their approach to textured, melodic songwriting.

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Where should I start with Alt-J on LyroVerse?

The Start here section opens with (The Ripe & Ruin), 353, and 3WW so you can move through the artist's stronger lyric pages first.

How many lyric pages are live for Alt-J?

LyroVerse currently has 57 visible lyric pages for Alt-J.

Does Alt-J have photos on LyroVerse?

Yes. There are 28 photos available, and the preview gallery on this page links to the full photos section.

Does LyroVerse have an editor's note for Alt-J?

Yes. The editor's note on this page is a short LyroVerse team guide, not a final verdict on the artist.

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