Ramesh McLean Srivastava (born June 26, 1983)[1] is an American singer and songwriter. He is perhaps best known as the lead vocalist of the indie rock band Voxtrot, active from 2003 to 2010. After the dissolution of Voxtrot, Srivastava has also released solo material under his name, including his debut album, The King, in 2014.
Ramesh Srivastava | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Srivastava performing with Voxtrot, 2007 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Ramesh McLean Srivastava |
| Born | June 26, 1983 Austin, Texas, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instruments |
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| Years active | 2003–present |
| Labels |
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Early life
editRamesh Srivastava was born on June 26, 1983, in Austin, Texas,[2][3] to Patricia Noel Goettel and Rajendra Kumar Srivastava.[2] His father is from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh,[4] while his mother is American, from New Jersey.[5] He attended Leander High School in Leander, Texas, and later attended the University of Glasgow in Glasgow, Scotland, majoring in literature.[6]
Career
editIn 2002, after graduating from college and returning to Texas, Srivastava formed the band Voxtrot in Austin.[7] They recorded one extended play and released a self-titled album, which garnered critical acclaim. In 2010, the group disbanded, with Srivastava stating that their career trajectory had been one of "long, simmering build, explosion, and almost instantaneous decay."[8] The band played their final show at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City on June 26, 2010, Srivastava's twenty-seventh birthday.[9]
In 2014, Srivastava released his first solo record, The King.[10] The record was performed live as a four-piece on a nationwide tour of Japan.[11] On May 6, 2022, the group announced they were embarking on a reunion tour through the latter part of the year, along with the release of archival recordings.[12]
Personal life
editIn 2007, the Dallas Voice published an article in which it was implied that Srivastava was gay, though a subsequent article by the same publication stated that this was unsubstantiated.[13] In June 2020, Srivastava confirmed publicly in an Instagram post that he is gay.[14]
Discography
editVoxtrot
editExtended plays
- Raised by Wolves (2005)
- Your Biggest Fan (2006)
- Mothers, Sisters, Daughters & Wives (2006)
Albums
- Voxtrot (2007)
Ramesh
edit- The King (2014)
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Srivastava, Ramesh [@rameshinspace] (June 27, 2021). "Thank you to all who reached out or spent time with me on my birthday yesterday. So interesting to have been born as a half-Indian gay man in Austin, Texas in 1983. There was a time when I thought I would have to change my name, get plastic surgery and pretend to be straight to ever have a career (or a life at all!). But every year I live, I understand more concretely that it is our individuality that makes us valuable..." Archived from the original on January 6, 2024 – via Instagram.
- ^ a b "Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997," database, FamilySearch (1 January 2015), Ramesh Mclean Srivastava, 26 Jun 1983; from "Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997," database and images, Ancestry (2005); citing Texas Department of State Health Services.
- ^ Wall Street Journal Staff (June 25, 2010). "Voxtrot Singer Ramesh Srivastava Looks Back Before Last Show". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
- ^ Mantri, Maya (October 2, 2006). "Music That's Not a Myspace Blog". Nirali Magazine. Retrieved December 30, 2016.
- ^ "Ramesh Srivastava (formerly of Voxtrot) Releases Debut Solo Album". Tan Echoes. February 25, 2014. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
- ^ Mowry, Megan (November 8, 2016). "Life After Voxtrot: An Interview with Ramesh Srivastava". All Things Go Music. Retrieved January 9, 2017.
- ^ Howe, Brian (March 28, 2006). "Voxtrot: Raised by Wolves EP". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
- ^ Breihan, Tom (April 21, 2010). "Voxtrot Call it Quits". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
- ^ Staff (25 June 2010). "Voxtrot Singer Ramesh Srivastava Looks Back Before Last Show". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
- ^ Coplan, Chris (January 17, 2014). "Former Voxtrot frontman Ramesh Srivastava releases debut album, The King". Consequences of Sound. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
- ^ "Ramesh x The Watanabes". Tokyo Weekender. November 10, 2017. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
- ^ "Voxtrot Announce Reunion Tour and New Archival Releases". www.yahoo.com. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 2022-07-16.
- ^ Garcia, Gilbert (September 27, 2007). "Hot to trot". Dallas Voice. Archived from the original on June 26, 2020. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
- ^ Srivastava, Ramesh (June 15, 2020). "FUCK YEAH. A victory for all of us in the LGBTQ+ spectrum. A victory for humanity. It's crazy, growing up gay, how you learn to believe that your life is worth-less, and you accept violence coming at you in different forms as a natural and even justified reaction to your existence. It takes a lot of strength to rise above that and reprogram your brain..." Instagram. Archived from the original on June 26, 2020. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
External links
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