alt-J

Australia and alt-J have proven their devotion to each other time and time again and Frontier Touring is thrilled to be bringing the unstoppable trio back this May for their biggest Australian tour to date. Joining alt-J as very special guest will be Icelandic melodic-folk marvel Ásgeir.

At merely 22 years of age, Ásgeir has become one of Iceland’s biggest break-out stars. His debut release Dyrd í dauðathogn has broken multiple sales records in his homeland – it has become the country’s fastest and highest selling album by a native artist; with one in ten of the Icelandic population owning the album and it has outsold even the combined debuts of countrymates Björk and Sigur Rós.

With the help of indie rock maestro John Grant, Ásgeir translated the album into English and In The Silence (out now through Inertia) was born, garnering equal acclaim. Spawning the hit single ‘King And Cross’, the triple j Feature Album debuted at #18 in the ARIA Album Chart and quickly surged to #8 in its second week.

‘It’s a rare jewel of an album that can boast all these qualities, and really is a testament to the talent that Ásgeir possesses.’ – The Line Of Best Fit

Having sold-out sideshows when here for Splendour in the Grass last July, Ásgeir returned recently for appearances at Falls and Southbound Festivals as well hugely lauded headline performances at Melbourne’s Forum Theatre and Sydney Opera House.

‘As the lights fell and darkness settled around him, his soaring voice sounded clear and high. Gradually, a minimal rhythmic backing and electronic waves and folk piano rounded out the chord progressions. The effect was lonely, spare, mysterious, and very, very beautiful.’ – Sydney Morning Herald

‘Ásgeir is a mystic wonder to behold live. ’ – The AU Review

The follow-up to their Mercury Prize winning debut An Awesome Wave, alt-J’s sophomore album This Is All Yours (out now through Liberator Music)  has triumphantly claimed three spots in the top thirty of triple j’s 2014 Hottest 100 countdown - ‘Hunger Of The Pine’ at #26, ‘Left Hand Free’ at #16 and ‘Every Other Freckle’ at #14.

Adding to the acclaim, This Is All Yours was recently certified gold by ARIA and received a nomination for ‘Alternative Music Album’ in the 2015 Grammy Awards alongside contemporaries Arcade Fire and Jack White. alt-J have also been nominated for Best British Group and Mastercard British Album of the Year at the 2015 BRITs, joining the three nominations they received in 2013 for British Breakthrough Act, British Group of the Year and British Album.

Along with acclaimed appearances at St. Jerome’s Laneway Festival, Falls and Southbound Festivals and Field Day, alt-J have sold out every single show on each of their Australian tours thus far. Their Sydney and Melbourne performances last October sold out within minutes of going on sale and cemented the love both Australian audiences and critics have for the trio:

‘If you missed this tour, I strongly advise you not to miss the next one as these guys have the stuff that legends are made of: a flawless sound and plethora of epic recorded tracks which translate even better to the live stage.’ – The Dwarf

Sharing a unique gift for unshackling the constraints genre and expertly pushing sonic boundaries, Ásgeir and alt-J are a match made in alternative heaven. Promising a night of young, innovative and powerhouse talent, tickets to these shows are bound to get snapped up fast. 

Frontier Touring is thrilled to announce the return of acclaimed UK trio alt-J, performing two special headline shows in Melbourne and Sydney this October. Their upcoming second album This Is All Yours (released Friday 19 September on Liberator/Infectious Music) is arguably the most anticipated British record of 2014.

“A momentous and shadowy return.” – The Guardian

“A litany of labels have been coined to describe their sound – folk-step, art rock, jump-folk and trip-folk – however, in refusing to submit alt-J have created one that is uniquely their own.” – Time Out

“With alt-J the pleasures are constant, but unrepeated in nuance” – Sydney Morning Herald

Last time the Leeds indie outfit – Joe Newman (guitar/vocals), Gus Unger-Hamilton (keyboards) and Thom Green (drums) – were in Australia, dates sold out in just five minutes. Get prepared – these 2014 shows will sell fast!

 alt-J announced their arrival back in May 2012 with their debut longplayer, An Awesome Wave. Aussie fans quickly embraced the band, with triple j listeners voting three songs into 2013’s Hottest 100 poll: “Something Good” (#81), “Tessellate” (#64), and “Breezeblocks” (#3).

Internationally, alt-J were unstoppable. An Awesome Wave was awarded the 2012 Mercury Music Prize, and nominated for British Album of the Year at the 2013 Brits. Later that year it took out the UK’s coveted Ivor Novello trophy. alt-J hit the road across the globe, in the US performing festivals sets at Bonnaroo, Governor’s Ball, Lollapalooza and beyond. To date, An Awesome Wave has sold one million copies worldwide, with over 200 million streams on Spotify.

In July 2014, alt-J announced their return in This Is All Yours. The haunting ‘Hunger Of The Pine’ was the first taste of new material, its chilling video (watch here) viewed over 1.6 million times online and counting. Next up came the jaunty, summery ‘Left Hand Free’ (listen here). Just last week alt-J unveiled yet another new number,

‘Every Other Freckle’ (listen here), the song premiering on Zane Lowe’s BBC Radio 1 and Mornings With Zan on triple j.

Joining alt-J at both shows is 24-year-old Perth singer Grace (aka Grace Woodroofe). Initially discovered by the late Heath Ledger and scoring airplay on our national youth broadcaster with early tracks, Grace has spent recent months recording with producers Dave Sitek (TV On The Radio), Sam Spiegel (Yeah Yeah Yeahs), and Dann Hume (Lisa Mitchell) on her upcoming release. From whispered details to stuttering beats and brash guitars, Grace is a name to watch.

In September, alt-J will perform dates in Glasgow, Manchester, London, Dublin, Paris and more, before heading down to Australia.

This Is All Yours is available to pre-order immediately; the album will be released on Friday 19 September via Liberator/Infectious Music in CD, digital and double-vinyl editions.