After breaking up in 2010, the Austin blog-rock all-stars are back together. Last year, they played some shows and shared a few previously unreleased tracks. In September, the band released “Another Fire,” their first new song in 14 years. Today, they’ve got another new one.
Voxtrot’s second post-reunion single is called “New World Romance.” It’s a graceful, restrained indie chug with lots of strings and Fender Rhodes, and it truly sounds like something that would’ve gotten serious online burn in the ’00s. Here’s what frontman Ramesh Srivastava says about it:
The initial inspiration for “New World Romance” came from the 2015 documentary B-Movie: Lust & Sound In West-Berlin 1979-1989, which paints a compelling portrait of the underground scene there during the highly creative era that preceded reunification. Having spent my own formative chapter in Berlin, the film activated my nostalgia and got me thinking about the ephemeral power of zeitgeist, as well as the uncanny way in which life continually presents us with new adventures.
The nature of adventure itself changes as we progress through life — the lust for meeting new people, discovering new scenes and embracing new cities does not fade entirely but is eventually eclipsed by an inner call to find purpose and deeper meaning. This focus shift in my own life has been compounded by the introduction of a significant romantic relationship, the cultivation and exploration of which feels like my next big adventure. Whatever one’s particular circumstance, there are always more discoveries to be had, more wild roses to bloom.
Arrangement-wise, this song had a similar trajectory to “Another Fire,” in that its completed form is a significant evolution from its demo state. I love the shifting moods and interlacing hooks in my bandmates’ performances, as well as the bittersweet triumph of the strings and horns. I don’t think there’s a concise word for this in the English language, but the mood it evokes in me is: honoring the past while releasing it, so that we can receive what comes next with an open heart.
Listen to “New World Romance” below.
