Our annual Summer Stars series features a variety of groups making the rounds on the festival circuit. Today we feature Alt-J. We’ve also checked in with The Brothers Comatose, Lord Huron, Django Django, The Revivalists, Emancipator, Zoogma, Foxygen, The Flaming Lips, Allen Stone, Shovels & Rope, Passion Pit, John Scofield, The Lumineers, Futurebirds, Tea Leaf Green and moe..

“Nowhere!” was Alt-J’s bassist and guitar player Gwil Sainsbury’s cheerful response when asked about his permanent residence. The Englishman then amended his answer to London (for practical reasons) and Cambridge (the band actually does live there). The fact that Alt-J – also comprised of Joe Newman (guitar/vocals), Gus Unger-Hamilton (keyboards) and Thom Green (drums/lyrics) – can’t pin themselves down to one location isn’t surprising. Their ethos is all about advancing change in both sound and method.

The group’s debut album, 2012’s Mercury Prize-winning An Awesome Wave, is a postmodern mix of tempered psychedelia. The songs dart in and out of euphonious and rawly emotional refrains, with strange tonal segues and layered synth instrumentals that make them sound like a descendent of Radiohead. Yet, with their self-edited precision, Alt-J are also immediately approachable, flirting with the classification of “English indie rock quartet.”

“It’s my job to be making music,” says Sainsbury firmly. “When you start making classifications, you start restricting yourself.”

Alt-J focused their attention toward trying to get signed through their quickly expanding online popularity rather than through the word-of-mouth of fans who had been to their live gigs. “It’s always someone’s friend who’s listened to us,” Sainsbury explains. “And playing live was very awkward and scary for a long time.”

Although a sophomore album is in its conceptual stages, Alt-J probably won’t rush into anything soon, preferring to let their first five years of work wash over them in a stream of festivals – Sainsbury’s favorite type of tour.
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Album for a Hot Summer Night: Anything by Hot Chip.

Summer Drink: A classic gin and tonic.

Festival Stops: Bonnaroo, Sasquatch!, Governors Ball, Reading, Leeds, more.