Alt-J

Band

Photo: ThorntonDrury · CC BY-SA 4.0
Active 2007-present
Origin Leeds, England
Albums 4
Tracks 46
Most frequent collaborator Charlie Andrew · 44 tracks
Genres Indie RockIndie PopArt Rock
Complete Artist
98%
Authorship

Holds writing credit on 45 of 46 tracks

Does Alt-J write their own songs?

Yes, and they write them together. All 46 tracks across the four studio albums are credited to the band as a group rather than to individual members, with two outside credits in the whole catalogue.

By the Numbers

4
Studio Albums
46
Tracks Credited
98%
Self-Written
19
Years Active
2
Collaborators

Authorship Breakdown 45 / 46 self-written

Who wrote the songs?

Across all 46 tracks: how many Alt-J wrote alone, how many they co-wrote, and how many were written by others. The bracket marks every track they hold any writing credit on.

Alt-J has a writing credit98%
96%
2%
2%
Sole author44tracks96%
Co-written1tracks2%
Outside writers1tracks2%

Role Fingerprint how they contribute

Lyricist Performer Composer Producer
Alt-J's roles across the catalogue

Share of all 46 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.

Lyricist (words)98%
Composer (music)98%
Producer0%
Performer100%

Member Credit Breakdown share of tracks each member is credited on

Percentage of all 46 tracks, across every album, where each member holds a credit - split by role.

MemberPeriodLyricsMusicProductionPerformance
Joe Newman 2007-present
98%
98%
0%
0%
Thom Sonny Green 2007-present
98%
98%
0%
0%
Gus Unger-Hamilton 2007-present
98%
98%
0%
0%
Gwil Sainsbury 2007-2014
28%
28%
0%
0%

Authorship Over Time writing credit per album

Alt-J's writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.

avg 98%
100%
100%
88%
100%
2012An Awesome Wave
2014This Is All Yours
2017Relaxer
2022The Dream
Early · 100% written
Late · 95% written

Authorship by Decade track-weighted

97%
2010s
An Awesome Wave, This Is All Yours +1 more
100%
2020s
The Dream

Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author

Where Alt-J sits on the scale from a pure performer (0%, sings songs written by others) to a complete author (100%, writes everything). The bright marker is their catalogue authorship score, plotted against other artists on the site.

Alt-J
Other artists on the site

Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.

EXO8%
The Pussycat Dolls21%
Josh Groban29%
Carrie Underwood43%
One Direction57%
Kesha77%
David Bowie88%
98%Alt-J
Pure Performer0%
Songwriter~50%
Complete Author100%

Who Really Wrote the Hits signature songs

Breezeblocks
An Awesome Wave
Written by Joe Newman, Gus Unger-Hamilton, Gwil Sainsbury, Thom Sonny Green, Joseph Newman, Augustus Figaro Niso Unger-Hamilton, Gwilym Sainsbury, Thomas Stuart Green
Wrote it
Something Good
An Awesome Wave
Written by Joe Newman, Gus Unger-Hamilton, Gwil Sainsbury, Thom Sonny Green, Joseph Newman, Augustus Figaro Niso Unger-Hamilton, Gwilym Sainsbury, Thomas Stuart Green
Wrote it
Matilda
An Awesome Wave
Written by Joe Newman, Gus Unger-Hamilton, Gwil Sainsbury, Thom Sonny Green, Joseph Newman, Augustus Figaro Niso Unger-Hamilton, Gwilym Sainsbury, Thomas Stuart Green
Wrote it
Tessellate
An Awesome Wave
Written by Joe Newman, Gus Unger-Hamilton, Gwil Sainsbury, Thom Sonny Green, Joseph Newman, Augustus Figaro Niso Unger-Hamilton, Gwilym Sainsbury, Thomas Stuart Green
Wrote it
Every Other Freckle
This Is All Yours
Written by Joe Newman, Gus Unger-Hamilton, Thom Sonny Green, Joseph Newman, Augustus Figaro Niso Unger-Hamilton, Thomas Stuart Green
Wrote it
Hunger of the Pine
This Is All Yours
Written by Joe Newman, Gus Unger-Hamilton, Thom Sonny Green, Joseph Newman, Augustus Figaro Niso Unger-Hamilton, Thomas Stuart Green
Wrote it
Left Hand Free
This Is All Yours
Written by Joe Newman, Gus Unger-Hamilton, Thom Sonny Green, Joseph Newman, Augustus Figaro Niso Unger-Hamilton, Thomas Stuart Green
Wrote it
Warm Foothills
This Is All Yours
Written by Joe Newman, Gus Unger-Hamilton, Thom Sonny Green, Joseph Newman, Augustus Figaro Niso Unger-Hamilton, Thomas Stuart Green
Wrote it
3WW
Relaxer
Written by Joe Newman, Gus Unger-Hamilton, Thom Sonny Green, Joseph Newman, Augustus Figaro Niso Unger-Hamilton, Thomas Stuart Green
Wrote it
In Cold Blood
Relaxer
Written by Joe Newman, Gus Unger-Hamilton, Thom Sonny Green, Joseph Newman, Augustus Figaro Niso Unger-Hamilton, Thomas Stuart Green
Wrote it

Discography 4 albums

All four studio albums. The Reduxer remix album, the live releases and Thom Sonny Green's solo records sit outside this catalogue.

Collaborator Network who they worked with most

Alt-J46 tracks
CA44Charlie Andrew, 44 tracks HZ1Hans Zimmer, 1 track

Bubble size = tracks worked on together. CA Charlie Andrew · HZ Hans Zimmer

The Authorship Story

Data Insight

The credit sheet has two shapes and nothing else. On An Awesome Wave it reads Newman, Unger-Hamilton, Sainsbury, Green; after Gwil Sainsbury left in early 2014 it reads Newman, Unger-Hamilton, Green, and that is the credit on all 33 tracks since. Two outside credits have got in over four albums, both on Relaxer: the traditional credit on "House of the Rising Sun" and Hans Zimmer on "Adeline". Charlie Andrew produced all four records.

Quick Facts

  • Band-writtenAll 46 album tracks
  • Outside creditsTwo, both on Relaxer
  • ProducerCharlie Andrew on all four albums
  • Mercury PrizeWon in 2012, shortlisted again in 2017
  • Line-up changeFour names on the debut, three after 2014
  • Studio albumsFour, from 2012 to 2022

Creative Fingerprint

Collective authorship with no exceptions: one shared credit on every track, changed only by a member leaving.

The Story

Every one of the 46 tracks across Alt-J's four albums is credited to the whole band. No song has ever been split between individual members.

Awards & Recognition

Mercury Prize for An Awesome Wave (2012)
Ivor Novello Award, Album of the Year for An Awesome Wave (2013)
BBC Radio 6 Music Album of the Year for An Awesome Wave (2012)
Grammy Award nomination, Best Alternative Music Album for This Is All Yours
Mercury Prize shortlist for Relaxer (2017)

Frequently Asked Questions Alt-J

Does Alt-J write their own songs?
Yes, and they write them together. All 46 tracks across the four studio albums are credited to the band as a group rather than to individual members, with two outside credits in the whole catalogue.
Who wrote "Breezeblocks"?
The band. On An Awesome Wave that means Joe Newman, Gus Unger-Hamilton, Gwilym Sainsbury and Thom Green, the credit carried by every track on the album.
How many albums has Alt-J released?
Four: An Awesome Wave in 2012, This Is All Yours in 2014, Relaxer in 2017 and The Dream in 2022.
Who is in Alt-J?
Joe Newman on vocals and guitar, Gus Unger-Hamilton on keyboards and Thom Sonny Green on drums. Gwil Sainsbury played guitar and bass until he left in early 2014.
What happened to the credits after Gwil Sainsbury left?
His name comes off and the other three stay. Every track from This Is All Yours onward carries the same three-name credit.
Did they write "Adeline"?
Yes, with Hans Zimmer, the only individual outside writer in the catalogue. The other exception is "House of the Rising Sun" on the same album, credited as traditional.
Who produced their albums?
Charlie Andrew produced all four, with Mark Bishop credited on the hidden track "Hand-Made" on the debut.
Did Alt-J win the Mercury Prize?
Yes. An Awesome Wave won the 2012 Mercury Prize, and Relaxer was shortlisted for the 2017 prize.
What does the name mean?
The band's actual name is the triangle-shaped symbol used in mathematics to denote change, the capital Greek letter delta. They performed as Daljit Dhaliwal and then FILMS before settling on it.
Which album charted highest?
This Is All Yours went to number 1 on the UK Albums Chart and number 4 in the US. The Dream reached number 3 in the UK.

Sources

Wikipedia: Alt-J Wikipedia: Alt-J discography Wikipedia: Joe Newman Wikipedia: Thom Sonny Green MusicBrainz: Gus Unger-Hamilton