[Cover photo credit to Daniel Everett Patrick & Angie Bandari]
On July 11th, 2024, Texas-based Indie-Pop/Rock band Voxtrot will unveil their latest single, “Esprit de Cœur,” marking the fourth release in a series of recent singles from the band.
Voxtrot is turning to their fans for help: they’re inviting listeners to share their interpretation of “Esprit de Cœur” before even hearing the track. The band has released the sheet music, including guitar chords, lyrics, and vocal melodies, as well as a MIDI file of the vocal melody, encouraging fans to create and submit their own versions of the song.
Voxtrot’s Ramesh Srivastava says:
All videos received will be featured in a dedicated playlist. We’re excited to see the diverse interpretations our fans come up with.
Fans can check out performances of “Esprit de Cœur” by artists such as The Natvral (Kip Berman of Pains Of Being Pure At Heart) and Annie Hart (Au Revoir Simone), in the playlist for inspiration.
All entries will receive a Bandcamp coupon for the Voxtrot digital discography. Additionally, Voxtrot will select their top 10 favorite versions and award prize packages including lifetime guest list access to any Voxtrot show, rare show posters, limited edition CDs, 7” vinyl records, and exclusive merchandise.
Regarding the inspiration behind “Esprit de Cœur,” Srivastava shares:
It was initially inspired by a documentary on Charlie Chaplin, which detailed his life in and out of the spotlight. The song explores the ephemeral nature(s) of fame and youth, and the inevitable corollary soul-searching that comes with a career in entertainment.
Throughout “Esprit,” I dip between my post-Voxtrot years in Los Angeles (during which I desperately longed to be “rediscovered”), imaginary conversations with Beat Generation authors (imploring them to understand that separating commerce from art is not as simple as it used to be), and Chaplin’s famous speech in The Great Dictator, which signaled the end of his comedic reign but is considered his most poignant cinematic moment.
In the pursuit of our life’s work, it is important to remember that, beyond achievement, beyond recognition, there is an intrinsic worth to our being, a love that comes from within and needs no external validation.
At the beginning of 2023, all five original members of the band (Srivastava, Jason Chronis, Matt Simon, Mitch Calvert and Jared Van Fleet) convened in the little town of Lockhart, Texas to break ground on new material and see if the spark was still there. And it was.
Returning to their DIY roots, the band self-recorded and produced a slew of new material, including singles “Another Fire”, “New World Romance” and “My Peace”, bringing Erik Wofford (from their early EPs) onboard to mix.
