Jet-cooled indole derivatives were complexed with polar solvent molecules and the emission of the complex peaks was characterized. It was found that solvent binding at a site on the indole associated with pi-density always induced broad red emission characteristic of 1L(a). Solvent binding in the vicinity of the indole nitrogen generally did not induce 1L(a) character emission. Accompanying calculations bear out the fact that solvent pi-site interactions are particularly potent in lowering the 1L(a) state relative to 1L(b) in indoles.