Like everyone else, when Alt-J came floating through our minds with their incredible musicianship, incredibly technical and intelligent tuneful songs with brilliant harmonising voices to match, bizarre structures in unorthodox time signatures making it look effortless and strangely normal, well, we wanted to interview them and ask questions, so we waited until we got that chance. We got that chance…
US: How has the festival season been, what are you highlights?
ALT-J: The festivals have all been amazing. We’ve experienced a great variety of landscapes from a lovely relentlessly blue and sunny Sicilian village too playing in Japan near mount Fuji where the atmosphere is so humid, outside feels like you’ve left the shower on. In many cases the album has reached countries before we have even entered for the first time. Going to Sweden, Portugal, Chicago, places i had never ventured, having the locals show their support by singing along to our songs as we play was very encouraging and quite emotional. I realised then that although these places where completely foreign environments to the band our music had found a home long before we had arrived. One of the highlights for me i think was Lattitude festival as the audience was so highly charged that that day has i think become unforgettable as that was the moment for me where something clicked epiphany style – the album is well loved.
US: You are soon to be going State side, what are you looking forward to the most?
ALT-J: The variety of beverages, the weather, the confidence of the people and the overwhelming expanse of land that offers such a wide array of countryside and seeing it all by bus. Plus i can now finally pretend I’m in Almost Famous.
US: Do you think all of the ears have heard your amazing debut yet?
ALT-J: Well our albums sales so far would definitely say no, in fact the number of ears that have heard the album (based on sales figures) i would think would be a negligible amount in relation to all ears. However i would say we are reaching alot of people and that’s fantastic, the more we tour the more friends we find. Its hard work but finding fans and introducing people to our music is one of the best things ever. Yes alot more ears to reach please.
US: You’re on tour for pretty much the rest of the year, what cant you live without on the road?
ALT-J: A good bar of soap! they don’t mind that at the airports so i take some nice stuff – its extremely important to smell fragrant and flowery on tour, as grumpiness and snapping and telling each other to fuck off either stems from lack of food and/or lack of showers. Oh And a variety of high and low brow magazines.
US: What do you think makes a good pop song?
ALT-J: I remember someone saying that a great pop song needs 8 hooks in it, if you have 8 hooks then the chances for track success are greatly improved. Talk about things that the majority have experienced, like relationships, once you have them reminiscing or empathising along to the tune you got them by the balls.
US: Are there any bands that are getting you excited at the moment?
ALT-J: Mountain Man, stealing sheep, Grimes. TNGHT, Danny Brown, ASAP ROCKY, Marlais, Princess Chelsea and Romare. They’re bands Ive been listening too that I have really enjoyed listening too very nice and exciting.
October
27 – RNCM, Manchester
28 – Cockpit, Leeds
29 – Oran Mor, Glasgow
30 – Waterfront, Norwich
31 – Academy 2, Birmingham
November
2 – O2 Academy, Oxford
3 – Trinity, Bristol
4 – Concorde 2, Brighton
5 – Electric Ballroom, London