Here’s the dreamy new single from Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Madeline Rosene. “Fish Astronaut”, a co-write with Rosene’s husband Alec Daniels, is an absorbing song that reflects on trying to meet society’s expectations through Rosene’s smartly-written, personal lyrics. The final line, as the song draws to a lingering close, sums up the sense of disconnect and the struggle with conformity that is central to the song’s theme: “Push me down into a square hole.” Throughout, we are immersed in delicate, dreamy instrumental layers that complement her sweetly, soft voice and ethereal vocal melody.
Matt Costa, known for his own indie-folk music, produced the song as well as creating the video. The visual is an artful piece, full of surreal images and muted colours that feel like a dream sequence and capture the sensibility of the music and Rosene’s words.
Rosene explains the background to the song: “‘Fish Astronaut’ is a song about feeling fundamentally out of place and wrestling with the tension between self-acceptance and the pressure to conform. Inspired by a fight with my husband, Alec, after a party in Ohio, the song explores my sense of alienation in a place I once called home. I felt like my boldness, competitive nature, and outspoken personality were at odds with the subdued Midwestern environment, leaving me feeling like a glaring outlier — ‘sticking out like a necrotised thumb.’ The hyperbole in that phrase highlights the intensity of my self-consciousness, as if my presence not only stood out but actively disrupted the harmony around me. The lyrics, particularly ‘I want to fly like a fish astronaut,’ capture my yearning to embrace individuality while acknowledging how outlandish and impossible that might feel in the context of my surroundings. The song became a way for Alec and me to process the realisation that I couldn’t thrive in Ohio anymore—a bittersweet but empowering acknowledgement of my need to leave. Musically, the song underscores this sense of feeling stuck while yearning for change. Alec’s use of a pedal point creates a sense of emotional and tonal stagnation, mirroring the lyrical themes of being trapped in an environment that doesn’t fit. The chords were inspired by the song ‘A Child is Born’ and explore every note in the scale except for C—a deliberate choice that Alec interpreted as finding beauty in the outlier. This aligns with the song’s central message: despite feeling out of place, there is value in embracing the qualities that make us unique. The lyrics reflect a desperate desire for transformation — ‘I want a new body, I want a new head’ — but ultimately conclude with the realisation that I’ll never fit the mould of what Ohio or suburban life might expect of me. ‘Fish Astronaut’ is both a lament for the loneliness of not belonging and a celebration of the beauty in being unapologetically yourself.”
Rosene’s new music follows her well-received 2022 album, “Everyday Existential Crisis” and her debut release “Raised on Porn”, both of which amassed impressive streaming numbers and radio airplay in the US. With performances at a number of well-known venues, including The Viper Room in LA, Rosene has also gathered a live following and fan-base.
