Ahead of Astronauts, etc.’s U.S. tour next month, mastermind Anthony Ferraro tells us how the band has grown from a studio project recording the group’s debut album, Mind Out Wandering, to an adept team interplaying live throughout the psychedelic pop tunes.

Catch Astronauts, etc. on tour, kicking off March 10 in Los Angeles and wrapping April 11 in Portland — see the full dates here.

Photos by Keenan Turner & David Morrison.

Our fall 2015 tour was one for the ages. I had the good fortune to be playing in two bands composed of some of my closest friends, and to watch Astronauts gradually come to hit its stride on stage. 

Toro Y Moi’s sound engineer, Pat Jones, graciously took multitrack recordings from several of the shows on that run and handed them to me on a hard drive earlier this year. I did some minor balancing and panning, but for the most part left the mixes alone. What you hear on the live EP is a clear window into our live show after two or three weeks on the road.

It’s been fun to observe the metamorphosis of these songs as they’ve gone from demos to the studio, and now to the stage. I always think of the live performance as a sort of celebration between the players and listeners, and it’s heartening to hear these recordings reflect that. This spring tour will continue the party a little while longer before we hide away and start the wild cycle over again.