Alex the Astronaut
Alexandra Lynn (born 1995), known professionally as Alex the Astronaut, is an Australian singer-songwriter. She has been described as one of Australia's "most powerful and important songwriters".[1] Her music has been described as folk pop and folktronica, often drawing comparisons to Paul Kelly.[2][3] Lynn graduated from Pymble Ladies' College in Sydney before studying maths and physics at Long Island University, New York,[4] including a thesis on sonoluminescence,[5] where she played soccer for the LIU Post Pioneers.[6] Her record label, Minkowski Records, was named after the Minkowski diagram.[7]
Alex the Astronaut | |
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Lynn in 2020 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Alexandra Lynn |
Born | 1995 (age 25–26) Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
Years active | 2016–present |
Website | alextheastronaut |
Career
2017–2018: To Whom It May Concern and See You Soon
Alex the Astronaut released her debut EP: To Whom It May Concern which features the single "Already Home"and was described by Huffington post as "a melancholy number about a bus ride and ruminations on the mundanities of life".[8]
Alex the Astronaut second EP See You Soon featured the single "Not Worth Hiding",[9] which she performed this for Like a Version,[10] and was nominated for a J Award for Unearthed Artist of the Year in 2017.[11]
"Not worth Hiding" reached No. 23 on Triple J Hottest 100 and it described as an unofficial anthem for the "Yes" campaign in the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey[12]
Alex the Astronaut performed at The Great Escape Festival[13] in Brighton, UK and at the Primavera Sound Festival in Barcelona.[14] Alex the Astronaut commenced her first national Australian headline tour in November 2018.[15]
2019–present:The Theory of Absolutely Nothing
Alex the Astronaut single "I Like To Dance" was released early August 2019 which Brooklyn Vegan described as "tuneful folk-pop to tell a haunting story".[16]
In January 2020, Alex the Astronaut released the single "I Think You're Great".[17] and "Split the Sky" in April.[18] The track references the film franchise, Harry Potter, in the opening line where Lynn sings "I've been colder, watching Harry Potter looking older". Alex The Astronaut tweeted the inspiration upon release, and James and Oliver Phelps, who played the Weasley twins, both retweeted the post.[19]
In May 2020, Alex the Astronaut announced her album The Theory of Absolutely Nothing, scheduled for release on 21 August 2020, and released a subsequent single titled "Lost".[20] A
The Theory of Absolutely Nothing was released on 21 August 2020, with Lynn releasing the single "Caught in the Middle" on the same day.[21] The accompanying music video for the single features an appearance from Lindy Morrison from The Go-Betweens, and shows the two playing tennis and drumming competitively.[22] The Line of Best Fit described her debut album as "a record packed full of vibrant, witty, insightful and heart-rending storytelling, all hooked around rich and tender folk-pop melodies".[23]
Discography
Studio albums
Title | Details | Peak chart positions |
---|---|---|
AUS [24] | ||
The Theory of Absolutely Nothing | 22 |
Live albums
Title | Details |
---|---|
The Space Tour Live (At Your Place) |
|
Extended plays
Title | Details |
---|---|
To Whom It May Concern |
|
See You Soon |
|
As lead artist
Title | Year | Album |
---|---|---|
"Already Home"[30] | 2016 | To Whom It May Concern |
"Rockstar City"[31] | 2017 | |
"Not Worth Hiding"[32] | See You Soon | |
"Waste of Time"[33] | 2018 | Non-album single |
"Happy Song" (original or Shed mix)[34][35] |
The Theory of Absolutely Nothing | |
"I Like to Dance"[36] | 2019 | |
"I Think You're Great"[37] | 2020 | |
"Split the Sky"[38] | ||
"Lost"[20] | ||
"Banksia"[39] | ||
"Christmas in July"[40] | ||
"Caught in the Middle"[41] |
Awards and nominations
AIR Awards
The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector.
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
AIR Awards of 2018[43] | See You Soon | Best Independent Album | Nominated |
ARIA Music Awards
The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of the music of Australia. Alex the Astronaut has received one nomination.[44]
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Lost to |
---|---|---|---|---|
2020[45] | The Theory of Absolutely Nothing | Breakthrough Artist | Nominated | Lime Cordiale - 14 Steps To A Better You |
J Awards
The J Awards are an annual series of Australian music awards that were established by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's youth-focused radio station Triple J. They commenced in 2005.
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
J Awards of 2017[46] | themselves | Unearthed Artist of the Year | Won |
National Live Music Awards
The National Live Music Awards (NLMAs) are a broad recognition of Australia's diverse live industry, celebrating the success of the Australian live scene. The awards commenced in 2016.
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2018[47][48] | Alex the Astronaut | Best New Act | Nominated |
Best Live Voice of the Year - People's Choice | Nominated |
References
- http://pilerats.com/written/light-easy/must-listen-singles-ruel-cxloe-alex-the-astronaut-more/
- Butler, Josh (25 April 2017). "Alex The Astronaut Is The Busiest Woman in Music". HuffPost Australia. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- Yates, Rod (8 February 2017). "Future Is Now: Alex the Astronaut". Rolling Stone Australia. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- Mathieson, Craig (30 March 2017). "Alex the Astronaut's debut EP cleared for lift off". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- Newstead, Al (22 February 2017). "Meet Alex The Astronaut, the must-hear science n soccer prodigy". Triple J Music News. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- "Alex Lynn – 2016 Women's Soccer". LIU Post Pioneers. 2016. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- "Alex The Astronaut Announces New Single 'Already Home' + Live Shows". International Music Concepts. 11 January 2017. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- Butler, Josh. "Alex The Astronaut Is The Busiest Woman in Music". HuffPost. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
- Newstead, Al. "Alex The Astronaut bares all on 'Not Worth Hiding'". triple J. ABC. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
- "Alex The Astronaut Announces National Tour in Honour of Upcoming EP". themusic.com.au. 1 September 2017. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- Brewster, Will (1 November 2017). "METHYL ETHEL, A.B ORIGINAL LEAD J AWARD NOMINATIONS". Mixdown. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- Armstrong, Clare (13 October 2017). "Alex the Astronaut gets Rocket man Sir Elton John's seal of approval". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- "Eight more Aussie acts added to UK's The Great Escape". The Music Network. The Music Network. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
- "Review: Primavera Sound in Barcelona cements itself as the world’s finest music festival". The AU Review, 8 June 2018, Larry Heath
- Fuamoli, Sose. "Alex the Astronaut announces the 'Space Tour' for the end of 2018". triple J. ABC. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
- http://www.brooklynvegan.com/24-new-songs-out-today-8/
- . Shazam https://www.shazam.com/charts/top-200/australia. Missing or empty
|title=
(help) - Split The Sky (Official Video) - Alex The Astronaut, retrieved 7 April 2020
- @AtheAstronaut (1 April 2020). "Hey @James_Phelps & @OliverPhelps I'm a musician in isolation in Australia. I'm a mega Harry Potter fan, I've been to HP world while I was on tour in the UK and tomorrow I have a song coming out about watching HP to cope with the world. Would you like to premiere it?" (Tweet). Retrieved 7 April 2020 – via Twitter.
- Martin, Josh (7 May 2020). "Alex The Astronaut announces long-awaited debut album, 'The Theory of Absolutely Nothing'". NME. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
- Martin, Josh (21 May 2020). "Alex The Astronaut plays tennis with Lindy Morrison in new music video for 'Caught in the Middle'". NME. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
- Newstead, Al (26 August 2020). "Alex The Astronaut writes songs to help her (and us) make sense of life's Big Stuff". ABC (Triple J). Retrieved 1 September 2020.
- Long, Jen (19 August 2020). "On the Rise: Alex The Astronaut". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
- "ARIA Australian Top 50 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. 31 August 2020. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
- "Alex the Astronaut: The Theory of Absolutely Nothing – Record Shop". Record Shop. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
- "The Space Tour Live (At Your Place) by Alex the Astronaut on Apple Music". Apple Music AU. 26 April 2019. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
- "To Whom It May Concern – EP by Alex the Astronaut on Apple Music". Apple Music AU. 31 March 2017. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- "Alex The Astronaut – Notes From An Astronaut (Vinyl LP)". Wah Wah Records. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
- "See You Soon – EP by Alex the Astronaut on Apple Music". Apple Music AU. 6 October 2017. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- "Already Home – Single by Alex the Astronaut on Apple Music". Apple Music AU. 11 November 2016. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- "Rockstar City – Single by Alex the Astronaut on Apple Music". Apple Music AU. 20 February 2017. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- Chaffey, Jesse (6 September 2017). "Alex The Astronaut's coming out jam 'Not Worth Hiding'". Frooty. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
- "Waste of Time – Single by Alex the Astronaut on Apple Music". Apple Music AU. 19 July 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
- "Happy Song – Single by Alex the Astronaut on Apple Music". Apple Music AU. 24 October 2018. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
- "Happy Song (Shed Mix) – Single by Alex the Astronaut on Apple Music". Apple Music AU. 7 December 2018. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
- Newstead, Al (8 August 2019). "First Spin: Alex The Astronaut's 'I Like to Dance' is a complex tale of domestic violence". ABC (Triple J). Retrieved 8 August 2019.
- "I Think You're Great – Single by Alex the Astronaut on Apple Music". Apple Music AU. 21 January 2020. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
- Martin, Josh (2 April 2020). "Alex The Astronaut shares new song and video 'Split The Sky'". NME. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
- Gallagher, Alex (13 June 2020). "Alex the Astronaut shares new music video for 'Banksia'". NME. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
- Bruce, Jasper (9 July 2020). "Alex the Astronaut shares new track 'Christmas in July'". NME. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
- Bruce, Jasper (28 August 2020). "Watch Alex the Astronaut perform 'Caught in the Middle' live at Enmore". Happy Mag. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
- "Dickheads (feat. Alex the Astronaut) – Single by Tuka on Apple Music". Apple Music AU. 5 February 2020. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
- "2018 AIR Awards Nominees". 17 April 2018. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
- "And the 2020 ARIA Awards Go To…". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Archived from the original on 26 November 2020. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
- "ARIA Awards 2020 Nominees". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 13 October 2020.
- "The J Award 2017". Triple J. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2017. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
- "NLMA announce 2018 nominees and Live legend". NLMA. 2 October 2018. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
- "Winners of the 2018 NLMA". NLMA. December 2018. Retrieved 5 September 2020.