alt-J (∆)’s name takes a little explaining. Pronounced “alt-J”, the delta sign is created when you hold down the alt key on your computer keyboard and punch ‘J’ on a Mac computer. The symbol has a deeper meaning for the band, as guitarist/bassist Gwil Sainsbury notes, “in mathematical equations it’s used to show change,” and the band’s relatively new name came at a turning point in their lives.

Gwil, Joe Newman [guitar/vocals], Gus Unger-Hamilton [keyboards] and Thom Green [drums] met at Leeds University in 2007.

Their debut album, ‘An Awesome Wave’ was released at the end of May 2012 and crash landed into the Top 20 whilst peaking at #3 on iTunes, making it one of the biggest debuts of the year. An amazing feat for a debut album by an indie act with little marketing, it caused a shockwave in the pop and r’n’b dominated charts. The release came with a plethora of amazing reactions that saw it touted as the “hottest debut album” by NME, hailed as “strong, addictive and enthralling’ by the BBC and chosen as album of the week on Radio 1 and album of the day on 6music.