alt-J was formed in 2007, when Gwil Sainsbury, Joe Newman, Gus Unger-Hamilton, and Thom Sonny Green met at Leeds University. First playing under the name Daljit Dhaliwal and then as Films, the band spent the next two years playing low-key gigs in Leeds and, despite their name changing, their fluid psychedelic sound has stayed true to its early days. Their titular first 4-track demo ∆, was recorded soon after in London, and their first official single was released in 2012. That same year, they also won the prestigious Mercury Prize for “An Awesome Wave.” To mark the release of their video for “Deadcrush,” we spoke to the band about creative control, their process and Anne Boleyn.
