Project Description

‘Amnplify Snapshot’:

ASTRONAUTALIS

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Hip hop Minneapolis based artist ASTRONAUTALIS is headed to Australia for a third time for The Smith Street Band’s Pool House Party tour, along with headline shows in Adelaide, Sydney, Brisbane, and Gold Coast, and joining Smith Street Band in Wollongong. Interviewer Esther Triffitt had a chat with him about the upcoming tour.

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Where are you looking forward to visiting most on Smith Street Band’s Pool House Party tour?

While Melbourne is probably one of my favorite cities in the world, i am actually most excited about Wollongong and Gold Coast.  Never been to either of those places, and new places are always the most exciting.  (Pretty stoked about Melbourne too).

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How are you preparing for the Australian tour?

Packing a whole bottle of sunscreen!  I get to travel a lot, and see a great deal of the world, and there is something very exciting about having to pack sunscreen for a tour.  I know your summer is ending down there, but i live in Minnesota, where winter can last till June, and the prospect of 26 C° and fighting off a sunburn has me very excited!  Put it this way, I tour a lot in Eastern Europe, and i don’t pack sunblock when i go to Russia.

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How important do you think it is to touch onto new styles within your music? In regards to making breaks globally.

I think it is vital to access new styles no matter what your intention is as an artist.  Artists have to grow.  Which means learning new styles, techniques, and paths all the time.  If you don’t grow, and evolve, and change, i don’t think you can call yourself an artist, you are just an entertainer.  I don’t know if that is required to break globally, there are tons of entertaining one-trick-ponies out their, who are hugely famous all over the world, and i don’t really think that path is in the cards for me.

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How do you constantly push the boundaries with both your recorded and live music?

Look at what you did on the last record, and tell yourself, you are not allowed to do that on the next record.  You need to set boundaries to push against, and i find myself becoming more and more strict, with every record I make.

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Do you plan on coming back to Australia after the tour with Smith Street?

This is my third time coming to Australia. I love it here. I’ll keep coming back, as long as y’all keep letting me in.

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Your performances are full of energy and passion, how has that naturally come to you? Have you always felt like you would be a performer?

Performing was something I was always pretty good at.  Before i started touring, i was supposed to be a director and a designer for theater.  Live performance has been a part of my entire life, that has always been easy for me.  Writing songs?  that was the challenge.  I am not a trained musician, making the songs has always been really tough.  Getting up on stage and yelling them at the top of my lungs…that has always been easy.

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Who are some of your musical inspirations?

Currently, i have been listening to: Ìfé, George Fitzgerald, Nichola Cruz, Dr John, Ka, Stephan Bodzin, Marc Romboy, Zavala, The Halo Benders, Sims, The Smithies, Jeff Rosenstock, and always always always Joe Strummer.

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Do you think Australian crowds will be somewhat different to what you have previously encountered overseas?

I have been to Australia before, and y’all like to get drunk, and sweat, and yell song lyrics as much as anyone, and more than most.  I feel at home here.

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If you could write with any musician, who would it be?

Right now, i want to work Stephan Bodzin more than anyone.

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And lastly, just for fun, what’s something you can’t live without while on tour?

Headphones are vital.  A tour without headphones…i would go mad.

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Check out the music video for ‘Kurt Cobain’ below!

Connect with ASTRONAUTALIS!