Austin, Texas-based indie-pop band Voxtrot has never played Nashville. That changed on April 15, when the band, led by frontman Ramesh Srivastava brought their “Dreamers in Exile” tour to The Basement East. A packed room of longtime fans and curious newer listeners gathered for the show, which was only available through tickets at the door.
Opener See Night, a singer-songwriter joined by a drummer, came to the stage at 8 p.m. CDT and got the gathering crowd excited with an upbeat song filled with an electric guitar. Based in Los Angeles, this was also See Night’s first time in Nashville since recording her album. Three songs in, she thanked her producer, who was also in the crowd, and performed “Gravity,” a single off her new record. As the song neared the end, See Night strummed her guitar into a rapid crescendo, spellbinding concertgoers as they nodded their heads to the rhythm.
A brief pause left the room in chatter while more attendees strolled into the venue. Then, the lights cut out and Voxtrot appeared on the stage.
They opened with “Another Fire,” which Srivastava revealed afterward was from their new album, “Dreamers in Exile.” The album was their first new material in 19 years. The song was recorded by bassist Jason Chronis in his studio. Before the show, Srivastava sat down with The Hustler to talk about the new album and the band’s reunion. He said that Jason “recorded it and put a lot of attention into making it high fidelity,” and added that they wanted the songs to sound more modern compared to their previous works.
He was also candid about their independence.
“I like that we were able to try whatever we wanted to try. We own the label. We had a lot of freedom. Jason owns the studio,” Srivastava said.
Like See Night, Srivastava explained that this show was also Voxtrot’s first time playing in Nashville. He compared the city to the band’s hometown of Austin.
“It has expanded,” Srivastava said, calling both places music-centered. He hadn’t been to Nashville in ten years.
After “Fighting Back,” the band played “Raised by Wolves,” which was the first track of their debut EP from 2005. Srivastava told the crowd that every single song on that EP was about one person: his childhood best friend and crush.
The set moved through “Berlin, Without Return” and “Kid Gloves” before landing on “Mothers, Sisters, Daughters & Wives” and “Your Biggest Fan,” two tracks that pulled from the band’s mid-2000s catalog.
Switching things up, Srivastava moved on the keyboard, announcing that he would be playing some jazz. The track “Steven” was about the same person. Srivastava followed up two songs later with the new album title track, “Dreamers in Exile,” adding a jazzy spin to the song.
The interview also covered the band’s long hiatus. Voxtrot broke up in 2010, and during the years apart, Srivastava had released two solo albums while the other members scattered, playing in separate bands and developing individually.
“There’s a lot about the passage of time, and understanding the levels,” Srivastava said.
The idea of reuniting had come up repeatedly over the past five to seven years, but only recently did it feel right to Srivastava to come back together. As they got together, Srivastava said it felt natural.
“You learn to be with each other through many different moods and have different types of experiences together. If anything, it’s a bit like a marriage. It’s about playing the long game,” Srivastava said.
For the next song, the lead guitarist played the acoustic guitar, and the audience erupted in a cheer. “Babylone” is a ballad, and Srivastava shared it was his favorite track on the album. Then came “The Start of Something.” It was an old Voxtrot tune, written when Srivastava was only 19. He mentioned that it was once played at a wedding. It turned out that Michelle, the bride from that very wedding, was also in the audience. The song got the room moving, with each person breaking into their own interpretive dance.
The main set closed with “Wrecking Force,” dedicated to Srivastava’s friend Rohan. Now they’re both in music. Wanting more, the audience chanted for the band to come back. Moments later, they returned to the stage, closing with “Long Haul.” Though it was the last song, fans still lingered, and Srivastava stayed behind to sign merch, concluding a memorable night for fans.
