Oshkosh Duo The Astronomers Build Music Career From Home Studio

Local pop duo reaches 216,000 monthly Spotify listeners while staying rooted in Wisconsin

Apr. 9, 2026 at 10:05pm

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An extreme close-up photograph of shimmering, textured music equipment like guitar strings and mixing console knobs, shot in dramatic high-contrast studio lighting to capture the glamour and energy of music production.The Astronomers' home studio setup in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where the duo has built a thriving music career while staying connected to their local community.Oshkosh Today

Ben Baker and Michael Stensland, known as the musical duo The Astronomers, have grown their fanbase to over 216,000 monthly Spotify listeners while operating out of their home studio in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The lifelong friends met in middle school and have been making music together since, choosing to remain in their hometown rather than relocating to major music hubs like Los Angeles or Nashville.

Why it matters

The Astronomers' success story demonstrates that artists can build thriving music careers outside of traditional industry centers, leveraging modern streaming and production tools to connect with a global audience while maintaining strong ties to their local community.

The details

After meeting in middle school jazz band, Baker and Stensland continued their musical partnership through college, spending their nights in a UW-Oshkosh dorm room creating music instead of going out. Now operating out of their home basement studio in Oshkosh, the duo balances their different strengths, with Stensland as the 'show guy' and Baker as the 'studio guy'. The independent artists are preparing to release a new EP titled 'Guess It's Just Life II' on April 24, building on the success of their earlier projects that included hits like 'Overthinking' and 'Skywalking'.

  • The Astronomers met in middle school jazz band.
  • The duo spent their college nights in a UW-Oshkosh dorm room making music.
  • The Astronomers now operate out of their home basement studio in Oshkosh.
  • The duo is set to release their new EP 'Guess It's Just Life II' on April 24, 2026.

The players

Ben Baker

One half of the musical duo The Astronomers, known as the 'studio guy' of the partnership.

Michael Stensland

The other half of The Astronomers, described as the 'show guy' of the duo.

The Astronomers

A pop music duo from Oshkosh, Wisconsin that has built a following of over 216,000 monthly Spotify listeners while operating out of their home studio.

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What they’re saying

“We made music every night. We didn't go out, we didn't hang out a ton with friends that year because we just stayed in our dorm and made music.”

— Ben Baker and Michael Stensland, Members of The Astronomers

“If we went to LA or Nashville, we're just another artist out there, you know. Here there's not many artists that are doing pop music that's getting songs on the radio and all that. Being here allows us to have mental breaks whenever we want, family time whenever we want.”

— Ben Baker and Michael Stensland, Members of The Astronomers

“We definitely have different personalities where it's like, he's (Michael) more of the show guy, I'm (Ben) more of the studio guy. That's worked so well for us.”

— Ben Baker, Member of The Astronomers

“To have everybody there singing the lyrics to something that we created down here, that's something that I think it's easy to overlook but really have to stop and think about it because there's no other feeling to that.”

— Michael Stensland, Member of The Astronomers

What’s next

The Astronomers are set to release their new EP 'Guess It's Just Life II' on April 24, 2026, building on the success of their earlier projects.

The takeaway

The Astronomers' story demonstrates that artists can achieve significant success in the modern music industry while remaining rooted in their local communities, leveraging technology to connect with a global audience without having to relocate to major industry hubs.