Thom Green, better known as one third of the incredibly cool indie rock band alt-j, has announced he’ll release a solo project in 2016.
Alt-j have become one Englands most outstanding bands in recent years and they’re also loved worldwide for their unique live performances, which are a visual spectacle and emotional experience. The band first turned heads with their song “Breezeblocks” and then their debut album An Awesome Wave in 2012. It was immediately placed on high rotation on radio stations around the world, receiving largely positive critical reviews. They had a captivating ability to make every lyric interesting and every musical note mean something.
In the same year they won Britain’s Mercury Prize. Two years later they followed their outstanding debut with the Grammy nominated This Is All Yours, which featured single Hunger of the Pine.
The bands music has been featured on hit shows such as Weeds and Sons of Anarchy, and they’ve been a constant figure at huge festivals such as the Reading and Leeds music festivals in the UK.
Now drummer Thom Green has announced he will release his own solo album in 2016. Green’s story is somewhat of a remarkable one considering he suffers from Alport Syndrome, a rare genetic condition that has resulted in deteriorating kidney function and the loss of about 80% of his hearing.
The disease hasn’t stopped him doing what he’s passionate about though and he’s very enthusiastic about his solo project. Speaking to Dummy magazine, he said he’s often been producing “three to four tracks a week” away from the band. He’s been so prolific with his writing and recording he’s now having trouble deciding on the track list of his album.
“I found myself getting confused and frustrated because I don’t know what to leave and what to include in the album. I’ve made a point now to leave it alone and almost forget about it so I can concentrate on being in the moment of writing.”
“I’m trying to avoid writing drums into my tracks as a kind of challenge to bring out the melodies more,” he says. I used to always start by making a drum track and then a beat and it would usually slow me down as I was trying to write everything based on a very restricted starting point.”
