ASTRACHAN

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Official Website
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Astrachan is the solo project and surname of curly-haired indie rock beefcake Ben Astrachan, a self-taught analog tapehead who conjures up his special blend of starry-eyed lofi folk rock in the candlelit haze of Puccini’s Studio (Astrachan’s basement bedroom/workspace named after his cat) on Chicago’s northwest side. Apostle to old masters like Cat Stevens and George Harrison, Astrachan is nonetheless an avatar of indie’s modern sound, drawing inspiration from contemporaries like Hovvdy and MJ Lenderman to thread together short-and-sweet psych-inflected tunes at once accessible and strange.

Astrachan is also the co-founder of Berta Bigtoe (with Austin Koenigstein) and Astro Heart (with Ryan Gebhardt), and a tireless accomplice to fellow travelers Smushie, No Lonesome (etc), brightening stages across Chicago with his golden voice, polytechnic abilities, and good-natured boyish charm. Forthcoming LP “Cleaner than Clean”, self-produced and recorded directly to tape in Puccini’s Studio, is a noisy upbeat rock-and-roll affair slated for release on Happen Twice in July. It figures to be a banger.

-Jackson Zinn-Rowthorn