William Fitzsimmons Shares Latest Album 'Ready the Astronaut'

Over the course of his career, William Fitzsimmons has made his living writing a specific brand of honest and inward-looking folk songs that fearlessly and candidly examine the evolving self while dexterously communicating his talent for robust melodies and catchy instrumentation. That the subject matter tends to dwell on the darker parts of human existence and relationships is no coincidence.

Now, Fitzsimmons releases Ready the Astronaut (out today via Nettwerk Records) as a powerful testament to his own past, and by weaving his story through the familiar tale of Icarus, he illustrates his willingness to accept his life's highs and lows by paying tribute to the influence they have on the future.

"I've always been fascinated by the astronaut thing," he says. "When I was a kid, the idea of escaping my situation was attractive. Having disabled parents, being fat, being a band nerd, and made fun of on the bus every morning...I wanted to escape the corporeal realm, to escape my body and my family. The farthest you can get is putting on a spacesuit and getting the hell out of Dodge. Somewhere that was always in the back of my head. And at that moment in Nashville, at 41 years old and already through one divorce, I had thought this was the relationship that was gonna fix everything. And all of a sudden, everything was happening all over again; I was right back to where I started, again. That was an overwhelmingly bad feeling, and I just wanted to escape. The album was born out of wanting not to have to live over the same mistakes that I had made so many times already."

Working with the incredibly gifted filmmaker and animator Zach Bell, Fitzsimmons released a series of concept videos for each single that delve into the Icarus myth.

Listen here: