Alex Lynn – AKA Sydney singer-songwriter Alex The Astronaut – is one of those people who can seemingly do whatever she puts her mind to.

She might be one of Australia's most popular singer-songwriters, but after she left school she won a soccer scholarship to Long Island University, where she graduated with a degree in maths and physics. While she was still studying her music had started to get airplay in Australia, and luckily for us she decided to dedicate herself to that career rather than sport or science.

The past few years have been a period of intense growth for Alex, as she became a carer for a sick loved one, and came to terms with being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Her new record How To Grow A Sunflower Underwater chronicles these experiences, but in a way that's as whimsical and observational as it is emotionally moving.

We talk about it all in this interview, as well Alex's upbringing in Australia and the UK, her path into music, the influence of artists like Australian singer-songwriter Paul Kelly, and loads more.