Biography

Oakland, California-based singer, songwriter, and keyboardist Anthony Ferraro established the dreamy, soul-tinged indie pop of Astronauts, etc. in 2012, a year before he became a regular member of the touring band for Toro y Moi. The project drifted toward a more refined soul-pop on its label and studio debut, 2015's Mind Out Wondering, before returning to a softer focus. Anthony Ferraro was studying music performance at UC Berkeley when his hopes of becoming a concert pianist were foiled by worsening arthritis in his hands. He shifted gears toward less mechanically demanding indie pop around the time he met Chaz Bear (aka Chaz Bundick) of Toro y Moi in 2012. The same year, he issued the self-recorded Supermelodic Pulp EP, the debut of Astronauts, etc. It featured cover art by Bear. Ferraro finished a degree in Musicology and began playing keyboards on tour for Toro y Moi before releasing his second home-recorded EP, Sadie, in 2014. Recorded at John Vanderslice's analog studio Tiny Telephone with Ferraro's live band, Astronauts, etc.'s full-length debut, Mind Out Wandering, featured a more streamlined, if still warm sound that took influence from '70s soul. It was released by Hit City USA in 2015. He followed it two months later with an all-demos version of the album. The project's second long-player returned to a hazy, lower-fi sensibility for its wistful soul arrangements. Released in 2018, Living in Symbol was co-produced by Bear. Astronauts, etc. followed the album with a co-headlining tour with the Mattson 2. ~ Marcy Donelson, Rovi