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Front man Ramesh Srivastava of Voxtrot talks band reunion, new album tour, and the Gay indie scene

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Voxtrot - photo credit: Annie Gunn

After nearly 15 years, indie darlings Voxtrot are back together. The Austin-based band, led by front man Ramesh Srivastava, released their third full-length album on February 27, titled Dreamers in Exile. The release precedes the band’s world tour, including their Seattle stop on March 30 at Neumos. 

“It feels great. It feels kind of unbelievable to me,” Srivastava said. “The amount of time and work it took to get to this point just felt like such an intense climb.”

It indeed has been a long and arduous journey for the band. After an explosive debut in 2005, fueled by emerging blog music culture, the band released a self-titled album in 2007 and signed with a major music label. Three years later, they embarked on a “Goodbye, Cruel World” farewell tour. 

“The couple of years that preceded the ending were a very soul-destroying experience,” Srivastava said. “To really make it and think that’s the rest of your life and then see it crumble, that’s so devastating.”

Fresh out of the label machine, Srivastava went on a much more personal journey afterward, working on his first solo album. He described that time as “being stranded out in the wilderness,” focusing on finding himself and pushing through to put out the project. By the second album, he remarked, “I fell in love with it again.”

Despite tossing the idea of a reunion around since 2015, it wasn’t until 2020 that Srivastava seriously considered such a future. He noted the effect of COVID and its isolation in his decision. “I was suddenly able to see that it’s a wonderful thing that so many people were and are emotionally connected to these Voxtrot songs,” he said. 

Voxtrot -    photo credit - Annie Gunn

The latest album features songs written before and after the band’s reunion tour. While it features their familiar sound, the writing and story have matured greatly since the last project. “The persistent themes are about renewal, regeneration and the passage of time,” Srivastava said.

While the early works were rooted in the ’60s, this album is firmly alive in the ’70s, Srivastava remarked. He described the 1970s as the perfect apex, the height of fidelity, adding, “We used a lot of really nice vintage gear, vintage synthesizers, and tried to get a beautiful, raw sound.”

The Queer icons of the ’70s are a big inspiration for Srivastava, and for this album. “My biggest Gay icons are George Michael, who I think is just a true blue talent,” he said. Srivastava also described Larry Levan and Yves Saint Laurent as other inspirations for the aesthetic of the album. 

After a long break, Srivastava was excited and nervous to get back on the road and in front of audiences. “I have to see how it is again when we actually do it again, headlining every night,” he said. “But I think I want it to be the main fixture of my life.”

As we wrapped up, Srivastava remarked on the current Gay indie scene. “I want to be one of the Queer artists,” he joked. “I have to blast it from the rooftops: ‘Please include me in the canon.’” 

And with this tour, he just might find himself up there with them. 

Voxtrox performs in Seattle on March 30 at Neumos. More information is at https://www.neumos.com/events/detail/voxtrot-tickets-124059. Their third album, "Dreamers in Exile", is out now. 

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