U&ME

Album: The Dream (2021)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Alt-J are noted for their postmodern lyrics, which range from tales of 20th century war photographers to a Tasmanian Devil's unrequited love. This song is more straightforward, simply about enjoying summer holidays and festivals.

    "It's about being at a festival with your best friends, having a good time, togetherness, and the feeling in life that nothing could be any better than it is right now," said keyboardist Gus Unger-Hamilton.
  • This was the first track Alt-J worked on and recorded for their The Dream album. Frontman Joe Newman told BBC Radio 1's Future Sounds the band first developed it during soundchecks for their shows but then forgot all about it. When they asked their front-of-house engineer, Lance Reynolds, to send over the recordings of their soundtracked jams, they rediscovered this tune.

    Newman recalled listening again to the forgotten jam as if it was "almost like someone else's song."

    Alt-J took the jam, and after two days writing came up with "U&Me," which they imbued with a "fun loving '90s spirit."
  • Alt-J recorded the song with their producer Charlie Andrew, who has worked with the band since their debut album. In 2016, Andrew won the Brit Award for British Producer of the Year.
  • Alt-J released "U&ME" as a single on September 22, 2021. They explained in their fan newsletter that because it was the first track they worked on for The Dream, "It felt right to be the one we share with you first."
  • Prosper Unger-Hamilton, the brother of band member Gus, directed the music video. The clip documents the day Alt-J sold their souls to reach new heights at the skate park. It is the first official Alt-J video in which the band members have taken the lead role, having only made small cameos in their previous releases.

    Joe Newman said of the video: "We normally shy away from the camera, and I think this was an opportunity for us to embrace the camera and Gus came up with an idea which was, we go from not knowing how to skate to then becoming quite proficient skaters to then becoming professional skaters, and it was a lot of fun."
  • "U&ME" climbed to #1 on Adult Alternative Airplay, giving Alt-J their first leader on any Billboard song chart.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Al Kooper

Al KooperSongwriter Interviews

Kooper produced Lynyrd Skynyrd, played with Dylan and the Stones, and formed BS&T.

Oliver Leiber

Oliver LeiberSongwriter Interviews

Oliver Leiber talks about writing and producing hits for Paula Abdul, and explains his complicated relationship with his father, the songwriter Jerry Leiber.

Harry Shearer

Harry ShearerSongwriter Interviews

Harry is Derek Smalls in Spinal Tap, Mark Shubb in The Folksmen, and Mr. Burns on The Simpsons.

Don Dokken

Don DokkenSongwriter Interviews

Dokken frontman Don Dokken explains what broke up the band at the height of their success in the late '80s, and talks about the botched surgery that paralyzed his right arm.

Gene Simmons of Kiss

Gene Simmons of KissSongwriter Interviews

The Kiss rocker covers a lot of ground in this interview, including why there are no Kiss collaborations, and why the Rock Hall has "become a sham."

Meshell Ndegeocello

Meshell NdegeocelloSongwriter Interviews

Meshell Ndegeocello talks about recording "Wild Night" with John Mellencamp, and explains why she shied away from the spotlight.