Jane Astronaut is the project of Inglewood born and raised, Latin-American songwriter, Billy Azurdia. Azurdia creates sounds that straddle the fence of fresh and nostalgic and keeps his lyrics “whimsical and ambitious.” When performing live, the four-piece a band consists of members James Kennedy, Adam De Leon, and Phillip Alaniz along with Azurdia. Together, they’ve played at local staples like Echo Park Rising and smaller venues including Boyle Heights’ Eastside Luv and Long Beach’s 4th Street Vine and dive-y venue, The Prospector. During quarantine, Azurdia has kept busy releasing some fresh singles and a cover of Beach Boys’ “Caroline No.” He’s also teased several tracks for an upcoming album including “Here it Comes,” “Come Back” and “Bugs.”
While several tracks are available to stream on spotify, Bandcamp is the best way to find Jane Astronaut’s complete discography. Their instagram account shares personal tidbits as well about their newest releases, like this bit Azurdia wrote about the December 2020 release, “Bugs:” “Bugs is a song about loss and all of the feelings that come with that. We’ve all been through a lot this year, but I’m happy to still be making music and sharing it.” A favorite line from the song is Azurdia gently singing “Maybe when we’re bugs I can see you again with the sun on our heads / Maybe someday we will meet again.” The track balances heavy and softer parts and carries a sense of melancholy throughout. Check out the track here:
“Come Back” is a slow ballad full on longing and nostalgia. Azurdia’s melancholic vocals sing of heartbreak, longing and desire. The song has a ’50s retro vibe with slow, soulful instrumentation. Get ready to slow dance once you check out the song here:
A car wash, a night ride, and lots of spit were used in the making of Jane Astronaut’s video for “Here it Comes.” The song is dreamy and hazy, with plenty of spaced-out synths and Azurdia’s classic melancholic vocals. The song along with the video has a feeling of being kicked down and getting back up. The lyrics, “Over, everything feels like it’s over… again / Here it comes” and “tomorrow makes me so tired just thinking / tomorrow is nearly today” brings to mind a sense of lethargy and just waiting for life to pass you by. Check out the video here:
Jane Astronaut’s new singles are a slight departure from their earlier releases, incorporating dreamier instrumentation and spacey synths. Look for new music from Jane Astronaut soon, which will hopefully include an upcoming album in the near future!
Leave a Comment