Alexandra Lynn (born 3 March 1995), known professionally as Alex the Astronaut, is an Australian folk-pop singer-songwriter. Her debut album ''The Theory of Absolutely Nothing'' was released on 21 August 2020, and peaked at number 22 on the ARIA Album's Chart. Her second studio album ''How to Grow a Sunflower Underwater'' was released on 22 July 2022. Lynn has her own record label, Minkowski Records, which was named after the

Minkowski diagram A spacetime diagram is a graphical illustration of the properties of space and time in the special theory of relativity. Spacetime diagrams allow a qualitative understanding of the corresponding phenomena like time dilation and length contractio ...

Early life

Lynn graduated from

Pymble Ladies' College Pymble Ladies' College is an independent, non-selective, day and boarding school for girls, located in Pymble, a suburb on the Upper North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. History and description Pymble Ladies' College was founded ...

in Sydney before studying maths and physics at

Long Island University Long Island University (LIU) is a private university with two main campuses, LIU Post and LIU Brooklyn, in the U.S. state of New York. It offers more than 500 academic programs at its main campuses, online, and at multiple non-residential. LIU ...

, New York, including a thesis on

sonoluminescence Sonoluminescence is the emission of light from imploding bubbles in a liquid when excited by sound. History The sonoluminescence effect was first discovered at the University of Cologne in 1934 as a result of work on sonar. Hermann Frenzel and ...

, where she played soccer for the

LIU Post Pioneers The LIU Post Pioneers (also Long Island–Post Pioneers and formerly the C.W. Post Pioneers) were the athletic teams that represented the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University, located in Brookville, New York, in NCAA Division II intercolleg ...

Career

2017–2018: ''To Whom It May Concern'' and ''See You Soon''

Lynn released her debut EP ''To Whom It May Concern'' as Alex the Astronaut in 2017. The EP features the single "Already Home", which was described by '' HuffPost Australia'' as "a melancholy number about a bus ride and ruminations on the mundanities of life". Lynn's second EP ''See You Soon'' featured the single "Not Worth Hiding", and was nominated for a

J Award 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 and which are judged by the music and on-air teams from radio stations Triple J, ...

for Unearthed Artist of the Year in

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...

. "Not Worth Hiding" ranked at number 23 on

Triple J Hottest 100 The Triple J Hottest 100 is an annual music listener poll hosted by the publicly-funded, national Australian youth radio station, Triple J. Members of the public are invited to vote for their favourite Australian and alternative music of the ...

and it described as an unofficial anthem for the "Yes" campaign in the

Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey The Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey was a national survey designed to gauge support for legalising same-sex marriage in Australia. The survey was held via the postal service between 12 September and 7 November 2017. Unlike voting in e ...

. Lynn performed at

The Great Escape Festival The Great Escape Festival is a three-day music festival held in Brighton and Hove, England every year in May. It is operated by MAMA Festivals and showcases new music from a variety of genres. The festival was founded in 2006 and roughly hosts ...

Brighton Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...

, UK, and at the

Primavera Sound Festival Primavera Sound (commonly referred to as simply Primavera) is an annual music festival held in Parc del Fòrum in Barcelona, Spain that takes place between the end of May and beginning of June. The first edition took place in 2001 in Poble Espany ...

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

. Alex the Astronaut commenced her first national Australian headline tour in November 2018.

2019–2020:''The Theory of Absolutely Nothing''

Lynn released the single "I Like To Dance" on 8 August 2019. which

Brooklyn Vegan ''BrooklynVegan'' is an American online music magazine founded in 2004 by David Levine. The company is headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, United States and originally focused on vegan food and the music community in and around New York City, ...

described as "tuneful folk-pop to tell a haunting story". In January 2020, Alex the Astronaut released the single "I Think You're Great" and "Split the Sky" in April. The track references the film franchise, ''

Harry Potter ''Harry Potter'' is a series of seven fantasy literature, fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The novels chronicle the lives of a young Magician (fantasy), wizard, Harry Potter (character), Harry Potter, and his friends ...

'', 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 James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguat ...

and

Oliver Phelps Oliver Phelps (October 21, 1749February 21, 1809) was early in life a tavern keeper in Granville, Massachusetts. During the Revolution he was Deputy Commissary of the Continental Army and served until the end of the war. After the war ended, h ...

, who played the

Weasley twins Fred and George Weasley are fictional characters in the '' Harry Potter'' book series written by J. K. Rowling. The characters are the identical twin brothers of the Weasley family, making them the older brothers to Ron and Ginny and friends ...

, both retweeted the post. In May 2020, Lynn announced her album ''The Theory of Absolutely Nothing'', scheduled for release on 21 August 2020, and released a subsequent single titled "Lost". ''The Theory of Absolutely Nothing'' was released on 21 August 2020, with Lynn releasing the single "Caught in the Middle" on the same day. The accompanying music video for the single features an appearance from

Lindy Morrison Belinda "Lindy" Morrison (born 2 November 1951) is an Australian musician originally from Brisbane, Queensland. She was the drummer in indie rock group the Go-Betweens from 1980 to 1989, appearing on all of the band's releases from their first L ...

the Go-Betweens The Go-Betweens were an Australian indie rock band formed in Brisbane, Queensland, in 1977. The band was co-founded and led by singer-songwriters and guitarists Robert Forster and Grant McLennan, who were its only constant members throughout it ...

, and shows the two playing

tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...

and

drumming Drumming may refer to: * the act of playing the drums or other percussion instruments * Drummer, a musician who plays a drum, drum kit, or drums * ''Drumming'' (Reich), a musical composition written by Steve Reich in 1971 for percussion ensemble ...

competitively. ''

The Line of Best Fit ''The Line of Best Fit'' is an independent online magazine based in London, concentrating on new music. It publishes independent music reviews, features, interview, and media. Founded by Richard Thane in February 2007 and currently edited by P ...

'' 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 Folk-pop is a musical style that may be 1) contemporary folk songs with large, sweeping pop arrangements, or 2) pop songs with intimate, acoustic-based folk arrangements. Recording production values created a unblemished style that appealed to ...

melodies". ''

NME Australia ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'' praised the album as a "dynamic, ambitious debut" and gave it a five-star review.

2021–present: ''How to Grow a Sunflower Underwater''

On 19 November 2021, Lynn released "Growing Up" which according to

triple j Triple J (stylised in all lowercase) is a government-funded, national Australian Radio in Australia, radio station intended to appeal to listeners of alternative music, which began broadcasting in January 1975. The station also places a greate ...

, is her "favourite, most honest song she's written". Its sequel "Airport" was released in January 2022. On 3 March 2022, Lynn released "Octopus" and announced the release of her second studio album, ''How to Grow a Sunflower Underwater''.

Personal life

Lynn identifies as gay. She was diagnosed with ASD in May 2021.

Musical style and influences

Lynn's music has been described as

folk pop Folk-pop is a musical style that may be 1) contemporary folk songs with large, sweeping pop arrangements, or 2) pop songs with intimate, acoustic-based folk arrangements. Recording production values created a unblemished style that appealed to ...

and

folktronica Folktronica is a genre of music comprising various elements of folk music and electronica, often featuring uses of acoustic instruments – especially stringed instruments – and incorporating hip hop, electronic or dance rhythms, although ...

, and has drawn comparisons to Australian musician Paul Kelly.

Reception

Lynn has been described as one of Australia's "most powerful and important songwriters".

Discography

Alex the Astronaut am Haldern Pop Festival 2019 - 01 - Foto Alexander Kellner

Studio albums

Live albums

Extended plays

Singles

As lead artist

As featured artist

Notes

Awards and nominations

AIR Awards

The Australian Independent Record Awards (known colloquially as the

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. History The inaugural 2006 awards were held at ...

) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's independent music sector. ! , - ! scope="row",

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...

, ''See You Soon'' , Best Independent Album , ,

ARIA Music Awards

The

ARIA Music Awards The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (commonly known informally as ARIA Music Awards, ARIA Awards, or simply the ARIAs) is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Austr ...

is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of the

music of Australia The music of Australia has an extensive history made of music societies. Indigenous Australian music forms a significant part of the unique heritage of a 40,000- to 60,000-year history which produced the iconic didgeridoo. Contemporary fusions of ...

. Alex the Astronaut has received one nomination. ! , - ,

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...

, ''The Theory of Absolutely Nothing'' , Breakthrough Artist – Release , , , - , rowspan="2",

2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...

, ''How to Grow a Sunflower Underwater'' , Best Adult Contemporary Album , , rowspan="2", , - , Giulia Giannini McGauran for Alex the Astronaut ''How to Grow a Sunflower Underwater'' , Best Cover Art , , -

J Awards

The

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 and which are judged by the music and on-air teams from radio stations Triple J, ...

are an annual series of Australian music awards that were established by the

Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-own ...

's youth-focused radio station

Triple J Triple J (stylised in all lowercase) is a government-funded, national Australian Radio in Australia, radio station intended to appeal to listeners of alternative music, which began broadcasting in January 1975. The station also places a greate ...

. They commenced in 2005. ! , - ! scope="row",

, Herself , Unearthed Artist of the Year , ,

National Live Music Awards

The

National Live Music Awards The National Live Music Awards (NLMAs) are a broad recognition of Australia's diverse and successful live industry, celebrating the diversity and success of the Australian live scene – recognising the best vocal talents and musicians alongside ...

(NLMAs) are a broad recognition of Australia's diverse live industry, celebrating the success of the Australian live scene. The awards commenced in 2016. ! , - , rowspan="2",

, rowspan="2", Herself , Best New Act , , rowspan="2", , - , People's Choice – Best Live Voice of the Year ,

References

External links

* * {{Authority control 1995 births Australian women singer-songwriters Australian women's soccer players Women's association footballers not categorized by position 21st-century Australian women singers Living people LIU Post Pioneers women's soccer players Musicians from Sydney 21st-century Australian singers Australian lesbian musicians Australian LGBT singers Australian LGBT songwriters Lesbian singers Lesbian songwriters People on the autism spectrum