Vikram Devasthali and Ross Garren is music for a world gone sad. Inspired by the lyricism of Elliott Smith and The Beatles’ adventurous approach to pop, their songs depict earnest losers who brave shipwreck on waves of dense harmonies and vibrant instrumental textures. Ross Garren’s meticulous production style illuminates the vocals of Vikram Devasthali, whose grandiose musings are delivered with a sob and a smirk.


Garren, a disciple of both the jazz piano and blues harmonica traditions, studied composition at the University of Southern California. Devasthali was a trombonist in the Jazz Studies department at the time, and they bonded over their love of rock and R&B. It would be several years before they collaborated - Garren pursued a career in film composition, while Devasthali’s exploration of The Great American Songbook led him to write his own songs. Their first joint effort was a strum-and-holler duo project that got them thinking about what they might create together in the recording studio.


2017 marked the release of the EP Losing Her, their debut recording. Featuring extensive contributions from guitarist John Schroeder, Losing Her is comprised of three songs about the uncertainty that accompanies different phases of relationships: “A Good Enough Romance” is a sparkling country trifle in which the narrator woos a skeptical stranger; “I Hope You Stay,” sings mournfully of the longing that survives a fading connection; and the slow build of “Waiting For A Resolution” evokes the fragile joy that characterizes new love.


Eager to expand their palette, Garren and Devasthali soon got to work on new material. Working with John Schroeder, as well as bassist Erik Kertes and percussionist Roland Gajate-Garcia, a new EP took shape. The Easy Way Down expands the scope and scale of their sound while leaving their commitment to the simple fundamentals of songwriting intact. Opener “You’ve Had It Easy” is a darkly swinging riff on the cliche that things could be worse. Next, the tongue-tied protagonist of “The Most Beautiful Girl” stumbles along with a heart full of Amy Winehouse and a kitchen sink groove underfoot. “I Can’t Find The Words” pays eerie tribute to classic jazz balladry while drowsily grappling with those forms of beauty that escape description, and “A Room With A View” is a spoonful of rock sugar to close out the set. Falling is hard - but with the right soundtrack, it can seem like The Easy Way Down.