Fallin' Astronauts is the Vienna-based indie pop duo of multi-instrumentalists Max Hamedinger and Emil Breit. They two of them met as students and have both studied and been trained in classical music. However, their music as Fallin' Astronauts is from a different realm of the sonic atmosphere.
Their newest single “Higher” is meant to capture the feeling of weightlessness while reinforcing the idea of positivity throughout it. It’s an indie pop song with a message and the intricate musical layers of it are the result of their classical training.
“Our entire EP is about life’s ups and downs. And with ‘Higher,’ we’re highlighting the ups. For example, after a breakup, we’re talking about how you can still gain your power back as an individual and see a brighter future.” they said.
From a musical standpoint, “Higher” is built around its bass line. The duo explained that creating this bassline wouldn't have been possible without their shared background knowledge in jazz and classical music and understanding music theory. Creating the funky bass lines, guitar riffs and knowing how to layer them with other sounds well is all connected.
They use their jazz and classical background knowledge and apply it to crafting a commercialized pop song like “Higher” to make sure it’s effective sonically and lyrically. The production of the song is meant to convey the feeling floating through space and this is the feeling Fallin' Astronauts wants all their music to have, hence their namesake.
“We like to call all the musical sounds and styles we blend together ‘spherical’ which connects directly to our name and that continued feeling of weightlessness as you float above the universe.” they said
Being a multi-instrumentalist duo has several benefits for Max and Emil. Max plays piano and guitar while Emil plays guitar too. They both handle vocals and exchange musical ideas openly when crafting songs.
“Max usually finds a cool line to play on the piano and I add some guitar riffs to that. But, it’s not set in stone. Whenever someone has a new idea for an instrument we add it and talk about it. It’s an open game every time.” said Emil.
“It’s a big advantage to be able to play multiple instruments. We can experiment more. And, in live shows, we can switch instruments with each other too.” said Max.
The name “Fallin' Astronauts” comes from a Banksy style painting the duo saw of an astronaut holding shopping bags which combines both the cosmic and mundane feelings of life. Having visual reference points like this is a throughline in the music of the duo as they have strategic plans for all of the visual aspects of their music as the release date of their MONO EP approaches in October.
“I think when people listen to music, they always have things that come to their mind that they see and emotions they feel too. That’s why we focused so heavily on the artwork for our music too. We want it to be a whole art project. From our name, to the music, to the message, to the artwork, it should all have a meaning and be connected.” they said.
For Fallin' Astronauts, music is an emotionally therapeutic experience. They hope people have the same experience when they listen to the music that they do when they make it.
“Music is basically my life. Even as a baby I was into music and as I got older, I tried playing different instruments. Music is something you can’t miss in life. It’s emotional, authentic and honest. It should always be relatable and emotional music with a message will always resonate with me. I put all my emotions into music whether they’re good or bad. Making music is fulfilling my dream.” said Max.
“I agree with everything Max said. I also love the feeling of coming together and playing live on stage. There’s no other feeling like that. I also love coming together to produce a song. I love that everyone has strong feelings and ideas and when they come together it comes out great. It’s a song that everyone loves and feels.” said Emil.
“Higher” by Fallin’ Astronauts releases on August 8th, 2025 and their MONO EP releases in October 2025. Their tour across Europe and Asia is scheduled to begin in February 2025.
You can float through space with Fallin’ Astronauts by keeping up with them on the following platforms:
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