British rock band alt-J will release their fourth studio album, The Dream, via Canvasback / Infectious Music on February 11, 2022. The trio hits the road with Portugal. The Man that same month for a lengthy North American tour. alt-J previewed The Dream by unveiling its lead single, “U&Me,” as well as a video for the song.
The follow-up to 2017’s Relaxer features both songs inspired by personal events and true crime stories. “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,” as per materials heralding the release of The Dream.
alt-J crafted The Dream after their world tour for Relaxer. “U&Me” was penned during soundchecks that took place across the globe. The band returned to London and liked what they heard. “It gathered momentum on its own, it was best to just get out of its way. We were just there,” explained lead vocalist Joe Newman. alt-J tapped Charlie Andrew to produce “U&Me” and Prosper Unger-Hamilton to direct the video, the first visual to feature the full band.
Watch alt-J’s “U&Me” video below:
The alt-J and Portugal. The Man tour of North America starts at Pittsburgh’s Petersen Events Center on February 25, 2022. Sir Chloe opens dates through March 20th before Cherry Glazer serves as support for the rest of the run. The tour hits Washington D.C., Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Texas, Missouri, Michigan, Illinois, Minnesota, Colorado, California, Washington, British Columbia, Nevada, Utah, Kansas, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Quebec before concluding at Toronto’s Coca-Cola Coliseum on April 17, 2022.
Fans can register for early access to tickets here. Tickets go on sale to the general public next Friday, October 1 at 10 a.m. local time.
