What would humanity look like to someone who existed long before its arrival? Someone who has traveled through the universe, witnessed civilizations come and go, and returned to Earth only to discover a species capable of extraordinary love and compassion, yet equally capable of destruction, greed, and cruelty? That is the fascinating premise behind Yodeling Astroman, the latest album from Kendall Street Company.
Originally setting out to create a folk record in January 2025, the band soon found themselves exploring something much bigger. While some songs stayed rooted in folk traditions, others ventured into unexpected sonic territory, making it difficult to connect the different stories into one cohesive body of work. As the band explained:
“Around January of 2025 we set out to make a folk record. We had written a great group of songs but somewhere along the way all hell broke loose. While some of the songs fit neatly into the folk genre, others floated on the fringe, and a few careened into the cosmos. How do we connect the mundane human stories to the deep and profound? It was a puzzle to solve.”
The original album title, Folk Tales, Sea Shanties and the Infernal Yodeling Astroman from Deep Space, certainly hinted at the unusual direction things were taking. However, the answer to connecting the album’s different musical and lyrical worlds came through an unexpected source: literature. The band explained that while reading Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five, they were inspired by the way the author used the alien Tralfamadorians as a lens through which to examine human nature.
“It was moving to imagine someone viewing us from the outside. So when Ben (guitar) came up with this character the Yodeling Astroman I thought.. ‘rather than the Yodeling Astroman being an outlying character, he should be the lead storyteller.’”
That decision transformed the direction of the entire record. The band began developing the character’s history, eventually creating a cosmic storyteller who had existed since shortly after the Big Bang. In a journal entry dated March 7, 2026, the band documented the origins of this mysterious figure:
“The Yodeling Astroman has existed since long before the dawn of humanity. He materialized in deep space shortly after the Big Bang. He has always been a force of good in the universe, using his yodeling to bring beings together in love, community, joy and peace…”
His history, however, comes with a rather unusual twist. After landing on an inhabited Mars, he discovered that the Martians despised yodeling so intensely that it caused their heads to explode. Eager to avoid further trouble, he eventually found his way to an uninhabited Earth, where his yodeling supposedly helped coax organisms into evolving into the life we know today. After spending time on Earth, the Astroman ventured back into deep space for billions of years before eventually returning. What he discovered upon his arrival left him both confused and fascinated.
“When he arrived, what he found confused and intrigued him. He found a planet ruled by creatures that had great capacity for love, joy, laughter, community, and care, but often chose violence and destruction out of fear and greed. This perplexed the Yodeling Astroman. How could a species so intelligent be so stupid?”
That question sits at the heart of Yodeling Astroman. Through the perspective of someone who has witnessed existence far beyond our understanding, Kendall Street Company examines the contradictions that define humanity. When asked what fundamental flaw the Astroman might recognize that humans are too close to see themselves, the band’s answer was remarkably direct:
“Greed.”
It’s a simple answer, but one that carries considerable weight throughout the album’s commentary. The band further pointed to humanity’s tendency to pursue profits at the expense of people’s lives and the environment as one of the behaviors that inspired them to question the way we live.
“Pursuing profits at the expense of peoples lives and our environment.”
Despite these observations, the album isn’t entirely cynical. The Astroman also recognizes humanity’s extraordinary potential and the beauty that exists within our everyday lives. As the band explained in their original journal entry:
“But the Yodeling Astroman, and some humans, shared a hope that the world could be a better place and the Yodeling Astroman witnessed many beautiful things and saw great potential in what humanity had to offer.”
That balance between criticism and optimism carries throughout the record.
A Collection of Human Stories
Rather than following a conventional linear narrative, Yodeling Astroman unfolds as a collection of observations and stories gathered by its otherworldly narrator. With countless stories attributed to the character, deciding which ones would make the final album was no small task.
“The Yodeling Astroman has written countless stories so we had a TON of material to choose from. In the end we chose stories that spoke to our sensibilities and we chose words that we thought would work well as melodies in song.”
The resulting collection explores an impressive range of characters and experiences.
“We chose stories about dreamers, feelers, lovers, time travelers, laborers, sailers, smokers, dictators, gamblers, lords and ladies, doubters, space travelers, and dog walkers.”
It’s this variety that makes the album’s concept particularly interesting. Each song offers another glimpse into the human experience, moving between the deeply personal, the humorous, the absurd, and the profound. When asked why humans are capable of holding such opposing emotions as love and hate, hope and despair, and joy and sadness, the band’s larger concept offers an interesting perspective: the Astroman himself discovers sadness for the first time after witnessing humanity. Despite having existed for billions of years, it is the contradictions of human behavior that introduce him to an entirely new emotional experience.
Finding Meaning in Uncertainty
Several of the album’s track titles suggest an ongoing search for understanding, including “Lost and Found,” “Feelings (or How Do I Feel?),” “My Doubts,” and “How Can It Be.” But does the album ultimately arrive at any definitive answers? According to the band, not every story is meant to provide one.
“The songs on the album are framed as snapshots of humanity and human stories. Some of the songs have some resolutions. Don’t wanna be gone, for example, resolves to embrace the present moment while 16oz world resolves to embrace uncertainty.”
They continued by offering insight into several of the album’s individual tracks:
“‘Lost and Found’ is a straight ahead love song. Hoyt & Horn is a laboring song. Back in my Day suggests we need to stick together through difficult situations. My captain is more of a snap shot of a sea fairing epic and difficult situation with the captain. My doubts is about experiencing a range of human emotion. Ben’s Aunt Ann wrote that one. How Can It Be simply expresses the disbelief that we could be so careless with our environment and our people.”
And then, of course, there’s the title track.
“Yodeling Astroman is just pure absurdity. The albums overall intention is to entertain and we hope people will relate to it through their own humanity.”
That willingness to move between serious subject matter and complete absurdity is part of what makes the record so distinctive.
Looking at Humanity Through a Different Lens
Two tracks that offer particularly interesting perspectives are “Back In My Day” and “16oz World.”
While both draw from recognizable human experiences, they approach those experiences through the Astroman’s position as an observer who has existed throughout humanity’s history. The band described “16oz World” as more of a dream sequence, while “Back In My Day” imagines an alternate reality in which the world changed drastically because of COVID.
“In some ways for better, some for worse. Mostly for the better. They got through it and adapted and life changed. But still it’s different. Hopefully things get better over time. Even if different.”
It’s an interesting way of examining how people adapt to unexpected circumstances and how even the most significant changes eventually become part of everyday life. The Astroman doesn’t necessarily judge these experiences as someone living through them would. Instead, he observes how humanity changes, adjusts, and continues moving forward.
Giving the Yodeling Astroman a Voice
While the character serves as the connecting thread throughout the album, the title track gives listeners a more direct introduction to who he actually is. When asked what the song reveals about the character that listeners might not discover elsewhere on the record, the band highlighted his whimsical nature.
“I imagine Yodeling Astroman as a Tom Bombadil type character. Ancient, understanding everything, some magical aspects, there to help, but mostly playing the roll of the observer and storyteller.”
That description captures the unusual personality at the center of the album. He isn’t necessarily there to change humanity or provide all the answers. He’s simply there to witness, experience, and tell the stories he encounters along the way.
Leaving Room for Interpretation
Tracks like “The Gambler,” “Smashed Roach,” and “Lord Von Rubin” also demonstrate the band’s willingness to leave certain details open to interpretation.
Rather than explaining every inspiration or assigning a definitive meaning to each song, Kendall Street Company welcomes listeners finding their own connections.
“The Gambler and Lord Von Rubin have pretty simple stories if you take them for face value. But obviously we are happy for people to dig around for the themes within. Smashed Roach leaves much room for interpretation.”
The band even offered a little humor when discussing the latter:
“I like to think of the roach as in a doobie.”
It’s a fitting example of the personality that runs throughout Yodeling Astroman: thoughtful observations about the world paired with a healthy appreciation for the ridiculous.
Introducing the Album Through Its Singles
Before the album’s arrival, “Don’t Wanna Be Gone” and “My Captain” offered listeners their first glimpses into this new creative direction. Selecting singles wasn’t necessarily an easy process, particularly given that the band hadn’t explored this particular sound as extensively since their earlier records.
“It was tough to pick the singles for this record since we haven’t much delved into this sound since our earlier records. But we wanted to highlight the lyrical aspects of this new record.”
“Don’t Wanna Be Gone” was chosen for its catchy, folk-driven sound and relatable lyrics, while “My Captain” offered something closer to what longtime listeners might expect from the band.
“My Captain was sonically a bit more in the realm of what people might expect from us but still has epic storytelling and a ripping sax solo. Ben our guitar player sings that one.”
Together, the two tracks provided a glimpse into the album’s range, highlighting both its folk influences and its more expansive storytelling.
An Outsider’s Perspective on Being Human
Ultimately, Yodeling Astroman is about much more than an unusual character arriving from deep space. It’s about examining the things we often take for granted, questioning the behaviors we’ve normalized, and recognizing the contradictions that make humanity what it is. Through stories of love, labor, doubt, uncertainty, environmental destruction, and everyday absurdity, Kendall Street Company has created an album that invites listeners to look at themselves from a different perspective.
The Astroman has witnessed billions of years of existence, yet humanity is what manages to surprise him. We are capable of incredible kindness, creativity, and connection, but we also repeatedly stand in the way of our own potential. Perhaps the most interesting part of the concept is that the Astroman doesn’t need to have all the answers. He simply tells the stories, allowing listeners to decide what they mean and where they see themselves within them.
As Kendall Street Company explained, the album’s overall intention is to entertain while giving people room to connect with the stories through their own humanity. And maybe that’s the point. Sometimes it takes an outsider looking in to remind us of what makes being human so strange, complicated, beautiful, and worth protecting.
Tickets are on sale now and full tour dates are listed below. For news and all up to date information, visit kendallstreetcompany.com.
KENDALL STREET COMPANY – THE YODELING ASTROMAN TOUR
11/13 – Ocala, FL – Sunset Songs Series
11/20 – Richmond, VA – The Broadberry
11/25 – Virginia Beach – The Bunker
12/1 – Oxford, MS – Proud Larry’s
12/2 – Oklahoma City, OK – Resonant Head
12/3 – Dallas, TX – Deep Ellum Art Co
12/4 – Austin, TX – Brushy Street Commons
12/5 – Corpus Christi, TX – The Exchange
12/6 – Houston, TX – Dan Electros
12/9 – New Orleans, LA – Chickie Wah Wah
12/10 – Fair Hope, AL – Fair Hope Brewing
12/11 – Birmingham, AL – Saturn
12/12 – Brevard, NC – Oskar Blues
* Co-bill w/ Big Something & Official Album Release Show
^ Supporting Pigeons Playing Ping Pong
CONNECT WITH KENDALL STREET COMPANY
Leave a Reply