RELEASE NEW TRACK “GET BETTER”
WITH PIXEL ART MUSIC VIDEO
NEW ALBUM THE DREAM OUT FEBRUARY 11, 2022
HANDWRITTEN LYRIC INSCRIBED GUITAR FOR CHARITY CONTEST
WITH ALL PROCEEDS GOING TO PLAN INTERNATIONAL
The Mercury Prize-winning band alt-J have shared their new track “Get Better,” the second glimpse into their forthcoming album The Dream, set for release on February 11, 2022 via Canvasback/Atlantic.
“Get Better” is the stirring centerpiece of The Dream, and one the band’s most emotionally resonant songs to-date. alt-J peel away the dense layers of sound that they are known for, leaving lead singer Joe Newman’s vocal next to a plaintive solo guitar and harmonies from bandmate Gus Unger-Hamilton.
The single arrives alongside an animated music video, made by Hamburg-based award-winning pixel artist Stefanie Grunwald. Since 2016, Grunwald has quickly gained recognition for her detailed nighttime animations, which caught the eye of Newman and led to the collaboration.
Going deeper into the process of creating the track, Newman says, “‘Get Better’ is the union of two songs. The first was an improvised song I sang in 2018 to my partner. To her I sang ‘Get better my Darcy, I know you can’. She filmed it and I kept revisiting the fragment with a plan to write more. The second was a chord structure I worked on in lockdown that focused on someone living through a bereavement. I felt a nervous heat when writing ‘Get Better’. The context of the Coronavirus pandemic lent my words a chilling weight and gave me a new sense of responsibility as a lyricist. Whilst the direct events described are fictional, I believe – or I hope – that it’s emotionally the most honest song I’ve written.”
On describing the experience of first hearing the demo, Newman’s bandmate Unger-Hamilton said, “when Joe first played it to me I didn’t just get a bit tearful, I broke down. A big, big cry. A cry of the year.”
??The band have also announced a charity contest to win a Larrivee P-05 guitar, the same model of guitar that Newman wrote most of The Dream on and used in the recording of “Get Better,” which he has inscribed with handwritten lyrics from the track. All proceeds from the contest will go to Plan International – a global children’s charity working in over 50 countries to create lasting equality for girls and protect the rights of all children. To enter the contest, fans can head here.
Speaking about the band’s partnership with Plan International, Newman says, “After becoming a father a friend told me about the charity Plan International. My partner and I strive for our daughter to be happy, safe, loved, and reassured every moment of every day.”
“To know there are countless children that don’t have the care and support from parents, communities, and governments is heartbreaking. Plan International are doing incredible work throughout the world transforming children’s lives, making sure they have access to the education, health care, clean water, and future opportunities they need to thrive.”
“Get Better” follows “U&ME”, the band’s first release since their third album RELAXER, released in 2017. The band announced the North American leg of their 2022 world tour which will see them play at venues across the United States and Canada in 2022. For full routing, visit: https://www.altjband.com/#tour.
Joe Newman, Gus Unger-Hamilton, and Thom Green have released three studio albums that have sold in excess of two million copies and their songs have been streamed over two and a half billion times. Their debut album An Awesome Wave won them the 2012 Mercury Prize and Ivor Novello Award and was followed by GRAMMY and BRIT Award-nominated album This Is All Yours. The album RELAXER, release in 2017, debuted #5 on the Billboard album chart.
To support the new album, the band will embark on an extensive tour of North America, starting in February 2022.
alt-J 2022 North American Tour With Portugal. The Man
with special guest Sir Chloe 2/25-3/20
with special guest Cherry Glazerr 3/23-4/17
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