2012 looks set to be a very busy year for Leaf and we're thrilled to announce that we've signed the Portland, Oregon-based duo AU. AU is Luke Wyland and Dana Valatka and their first release with us will be ‘Solid Gold’, taken from their forthcoming album, Both Lights. The single will be released on Jan 9, with the album to follow in March.

AU (pronounced ‘ay-you’) first came to our attention in 2009 with the brilliant Versions EP, but Both Lights is really the long-gestating follow-up to 2008’s Verbs album. In the interim Wyland has stripped his previously extensive band down to a two-piece, rewriting his own rulebook and honing the duo’s considerable talents. They’re quite capable of delivering astonishing, muscular live shows (Dana on drums, Luke playing everything else), something we hope you’ll get the chance to see in Europe in 2012.

The ‘Solid Gold’ 7” also includes an exclusive song, 'under/Epic' (feat. Colin Stetson) and is limited to 500 copies for the world (just 150 for Europe). It's a joint release by The Leaf Label and Hometapes. Pressed on transparent yellow-orange vinyl, it’s packaged with full-color transparent cover art in a heavy PVC sleeve, and includes a free digital download. You can stream/download the track here now or over at Pitchfork, where the track was previewed earlier today: