Astronaut Pushers, the one-time Nashville supergroup, consists of Sam Ashworth (Grammy and Academy Award-nominated songwriter), John Davis (Superdrag, The Lees Of Memory), Lindsay Jamieson (Ben Folds, Departure Lounge) and Matt Slocum (Sixpence None the Richer). Their four-song EP, originally self-released as a CD on a limited basis, showcases a wide diversity of styles performed by musicians at the top of their creative game. It was reissued on vinyl by Lost In Ohio in 2022.

The late ‘90s were a fertile time for the Nashville music scene, attracting musicians from all over the globe. It was during this time that Sam Ashworth and Matt Slocum first met, with Sam contributing a song to Sixpence None the Richer’s self-titled 1998 album. They became fast friends and began meeting at Matt’s house regularly to jam and write music. Lindsay Jamieson moved to Nashville from London a few years later and was introduced to his future bandmates at a party.

A huge fan of The Sundays, Matt was fascinated to learn that Lindsay had played drums on their demos and tambourine on their records. Not long after, Sam and Lindsay discussed the idea of starting a band. During the conversation, it became clear that Matt would be an essential part of this band, so they approached him and he was interested. The Pushers started playing shows at local Nashville venues. They attracted many fellow musicians to these early shows, including Ben Folds, Fleming & John, and future member John Davis.

According to Sam, Ben Folds was impressed: “Ben came to one of our first shows … and soon after hired Lindsay and Jared Reynolds [who played bass with the band at this show] to record with him.” The band started recording at Matt’s house, the main floor of which was a sprawling studio. Prominent local engineers and producers Taylor Harris (Charlie Peacock) and Jacquire King (Kings of Leon) assisted with these sessions.

At the same time, Lindsay was making frequent visits to RCA Studio A to track drums for Ben Folds’s album Songs for Silverman. It was also around this time that John Davis first jammed with the Astronaut Pushers. The members were fans of Superdrag and excited at the opportunity. John remembers, “It was more, ‘Come by the studio and just jam on something.’ If I had showed up and played something terrible, they probably wouldn’t have invited me to come up on stage with them. But as it turns out, we got some really cool stuff.” John was soon an official member.

They continued playing shows in Nashville and the buzz spread around the industry, drawing interest from V2 Records. In the end, though, it wasn’t meant to be. Ben Folds’ Songs for Silverman was released to critical acclaim and Lindsay departed for a tour across the US and Europe. Future live work was not in the cards for long, but the group wanted to put together the best of their recordings from Matt's home studio to mark their time together. The EP was sold through direct mail order and at their few remaining shows, including their final show opening for Silversun Pickups at Exit/In. Fast-forward to 2023, Sam, Lindsay & Matt got together in Nashville to write some new Pushers music. John contributed some lyrics via remote, and "Fires Of Love" was born.

Ruby Amanfu added some stellar vocals to the track. It's now presented on a fresh, new 12" along with captivating remixes by This NVR Happened, Ciel Eckard-Lee & Charlie Peacock. The band is currently writing songs for a full-length album.