The Mercury Prize-winning, multiple GRAMMY- and BRIT Award-nominated band alt-J have announced their eagerly-awaited fourth album The Dream, set for release February 11, 2022, via Canvasback / Infectious Music. The band’s revelatory new single “U&ME” is out now and accompanied by a music video. “U&ME” is produced by long-time collaborator Charlie Andrew and is the band’s first new music since their acclaimed third album RELAXER, released in 2017.
Directed by band member Gus Unger-Hamilton’s brother, Prosper Unger-Hamilton, the video for “U&ME” is the first to feature the full band. It’s an evocative video that recalls summer memories and was inspired by Newman’s experiences at a festival in Melbourne.
Watch/listen to “U&ME”
The Dream
The Dream is an album where true-crime-inspired stories and tales of Hollywood and the Chateau Marmont rub shoulders with some of the band’s more personal moments to date. Both beauty and darkness lay side-by-side - often seamlessly merging on the same track, a purposeful choice that pays dividends across the record. The band’s dazzling instrumentation has matured; there are still far-out moments, but now they are deployed with artful precision.
The Dream is an album of intrigue, beauty, and humanity - a coalescence of everything that has made alt-J a global band with true staying power. The album was created after a year of reflection and recharge for the band following their world tour in support of previous record RELAXER which saw them perform a global sold out tour including shows at The Hollywood Bowl and the O2 (they had played Madison Square Garden for the previous album This Is All Yours). It is a record that is the sound of a band growing as songwriters and storytellers.
“U&ME” is a case in point: it is arguably alt-J’s most beautiful and honest song to date, unfurling gracefully, with new elements being subtly folded into the mix until a euphoric breakdown cracks through the middle. Lead vocalist Newman moves between blissful euphoria and artful restraint, telling a love story through snapshot memories, as the song channels the band’s unparalleled experimentation into a song that is underpinned with a raw sense of joy.
The track was written during various soundchecks across the globe, when the band got back to London and heard the recordings they knew it was one of their most dynamic recordings to date. Speaking on the process, Joe Newman says, “It gathered momentum on its own, it was best to just get out of its way. We were just there.”
Elaborating on the meaning of “U&ME”, Gus Unger-Hamilton says, “It’s about being at a festival with your best friends, having a good time, togetherness, and the feeling in life that nothing could be any better than it is right now”
About PORTUGAL THE MAN
Over the past decade, Portugal The Man has established themselves as one of rock’s most prized possessions and a live phenomenon, with over 1,600 shows under their belts and a storied reputation as festival favorites.
Originally heralding from Alaska, the Portland-based band – comprised of John Gourley, Zach Carothers, Kyle O’Quin, Eric Howk, Jason Sechrist and Zoe Manville – soared to new heights in 2017 with the release of their RIAA certified-gold album, Woodstock. The album was marked by the astounding success of their infectious single, “Feel It Still,” which earned the group a plethora of new accolades – including a GRAMMY award for “Best Pop Duo/Group Performance,” a 6x RIAA platinum certified single certification, a record setting 20-week residency at #1 on alternative radio, and an inescapable presence on the Top 40 airwaves.
Alongside the shine of their myriad musical accomplishments lies the group’s long-standing passion for social justice. In fact, this is precisely the intersection on which Portugal The Man thrives; throughout their career, the band has consistently exemplified how to deeply commit to both artistry and activism. This dynamic inspired them to officially launch their PTM Foundation in 2020, focused on universal issues related to human rights, community health, and the environment, with an emphasis on causes directly impacting Indigenous Peoples.
Their continued passion for activism has also led to recent partnerships with organizations such as the National Coalition Against Censorship, The Skatepark Project (helping communities build public skate parks for youth in underserved communities), March for Our Lives (Gun Reform), Keep Oregon Well (Mental Health), and Protect Our Winters (Climate Change), to name just a few.
