For Minnesota Music Month, The Current polled local music fans for April’s edition of The Scouting Report. A total of 245 people filled out this year’s Minnesota Music Month Scouting Report ballot, and 455 unique artists were chosen overall. The top 10 artists who received the most support include Astronomy Town.

Astronomy Town came together slowly and deliberately with no lead songwriter and no predetermined sound — just four musicians finding each other through the Twin Cities’ tightly connected music community. The result is a group that resists easy categorization, pulling equally from jazz, lo-fi, math rock, and hip-hop in a way that feels more like a shared conversation than a band blending genres.

Michael Mooridian (bass), Cassandra Johnson (guitar), Robb Lauer (drums), and Joe Twohy (keys) have two EPs under their belt as Astronomy Town. In their suburban basement practice space, the quartet sat down to talk about what’s next for them, the songs they think best represent them, and what makes the Twin Cities’ music scene so special.

Now that you have two EPs out, what exciting things are coming up for Astronomy Town this year?

Cassandra Johnson: The big thing this year is we're going to take those two EPs and do a vinyl release. We're also working on a couple of new songs right now. We just debuted one live for the first time, so we're in a writing spell. It’s nice because we don't have any big recordings coming up and we can really sink our teeth in.

What key tracks do people need to hear from Astronomy Town and why?

Michael Mooridian: One would be "Coffee and Guinness" off our first EP. That got voted the number four local release of the year on Jazz 88, and I think it shows the jazz influences in our work more than almost anything else.

Cassandra Johnson: From the more recent EP, "MSF" — which stands for Montucky Space Force — is the closing track, and it has this really big spectrum of our influences. We go through quite a few different sections, but the ending is very anthemic. When you listen to the start of the song, it doesn't seem like that's where it's going to end up, which is really fun.

Robb Lauer: I'd say "2007." The beginning of that one really taps into this whole idea of improvised soundscape and psychedelic sound that we leaned into hard. I brought a thunder drum, wind chimes, a rainstick — all these different things I wanted to throw at the tune. It's a very stark comparison to everything else on both EPs.

Joe Twohy: I'll plug "Dilate." It was our first single, and I feel like it's the song that truly clicked for everybody — the one where we all felt like, “Yes, this is it.” We always play it near the end of our set, and it's always a big moment. It really connects with people on the live stage in a way that feels like it roots us.

How does the Minnesota music community influence and inform what you do?

Robb Lauer: When you go to a lot of shows and start meeting people, you start seeing the same faces and making connections. You start realizing that everyone is super connected. And when you see that web build around you, it makes you feel small, but also big — because you realize you're part of something enormous. That's what inspires me. The better that community grows, the more Astronomy Town benefits from it, too.

Cassandra Johnson: I go to a lot of shows, and I'm curious in a way that isn't limited to our friends' bands. I want to catch shows across a variety of ages and scenes. I saw a folk duo doing accordion and Swedish bagpipes the other night, and it made me think about song structure in a new way.

Michael Mooridian: We have a lot of great venues and business owners who are genuinely part of this community. From First Avenue to smaller spots like White Squirrel and MetroNOME Brewery, more of the venues here are part of the community than aren't. We have local radio stations, music schools, and more private music educators than you can count. And the people of Minneapolis and St. Paul just appreciate art broadly. They'll come out to original music, visual art shows, theater, and dance. It's not just a music scene — it's an art scene.

What’s your favorite venue to play? Related, what’s your dream venue?

Cassandra Johnson: White Squirrel has such a special place in my heart. I call it church, because that's my weekly place of healing through community. They support their musicians so well. Dream venue is First Avenue. That's the obvious answer, but it's obvious for a reason.

Robb Lauer: Berlin in the North Loop gets my shout-out. As a musician, to be treated seriously when you show up. They have a private green room, you fill out a menu for the food you want, and the sound is immaculate. They spend so much time dialing it in for you. That's not always the case, and it matters. First Avenue is still the dream, obviously.

Joe Twohy: There's just something in that room at Berlin. You can play as loud as you want, and your ears never hurt. It sounds beautiful from everywhere in the venue. It feels like an East Coast jazz club.

What shows do you have coming up?

Cassandra Johnson: We're headlining the Green Room on May 27 with Audrey Q and One Big Quilt, who is a phenomenal guitarist with really cool songwriting techniques. We're also playing 56 Brewing on May 8th and Underground Music Cafe on June 19th. And then the vinyl release show, which we're still nailing down the details on — that'll be announced soon.

Related: Minnesota Music Month Scouting Report 2026: The top 10 new local artists