Voxtrot Launches Contest Inviting Fans to Interpret New Single 'Esprit de Cœur' Before Release Date

On July 11th, acclaimed 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 a unique twist: they're inviting listeners to share their interpretion "Esprit de Cœur" before even hearing the track. The band has released the sheet music today, 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.

"All videos received will be featured in a dedicated playlist," says Voxtrot's Ramesh Srivastava. "We're excited to see the diverse interpretations our fans come up with."

Fans can check out performances of "Esprit de Cœur" by notable 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.

Full details and a list of prizes can be found HERE.

Fans have until July 10th, 11:55 PM CST, to submit their videos via HERE.

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.”

Like previous singles “Another Fire," “New World Romance," and “My Peace," “Esprit de Cœur” brings the energy and hooks of classic Voxtrot into a new era.

Voxtrot was embraced far and wide in the early aughts blog era, initially with a pair of EPs: Raised By Wolves and Mothers, Sisters, Daughters & Wives, self-released on the band’s own Cult Hero Records. As expeditiously as the band was built up, they were pulled apart, calling it quits in 2010 shortly after their Playlouder/Beggars debut LP.   

While the members went on with their individual lives, Voxtrot’s legacy grew. A new legion of fans discovered their music posthumously, many too young to have known about them while they were originally active.

And then, a new chapter… 

 “I had a dream where we were onstage and it was really positive,” remembers frontman Ramesh Srivastava in 2022. “There was such a strong and palpable feeling of love in my heart that when I woke up, it was still with me. I switched on my phone and started looking at things tagged with “Voxtrot” on social media – teenagers covering our songs, people with Voxtrot tattoos – and just went down this internet rabbit hole that made me realize how much love there still is for the band. For the first time since we broke up, it seemed very, very obvious that we should do this.”

With that, Voxtrot reunited, releasing two archival vinyl compilations (Early Music - a collection of their first two EPs - and Cut From The Stone: Rarities & B-Sides) in conjunction with a largely sold-out US tour.

At the beginning of 2023, all five original members (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.

Photo credit: Daniel Everett Patrick & Angie Bandari

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