PREVIEW: ROSTAM @ 9:30 Club

 In light of his upcoming new solo album, artist Rostam Batmanglij will be starting his mini East-Coast tour off with none other than his hometown of D.C. He will be bringing his combination of synth electronic and classical to The 9:30 Club on May 2.

In a recent Instagram post, Rostam discusses his identity as being born in America to two Iranian refugees. He says, “My American citizenship is something I should be able to be proud of, my middle-eastern descent, alongside it. I am a product of the two.”

Several of his previously released tracks, such as “Wood” and “Please Don’t Let it Get To You”, are heavily influenced by his Iranian roots. How present this Persian sound will be on the rest of the album remains to be seen, but from the other tracks he has released so far, it appears that this album will also have an array of more electronic-heavy and pop-influenced tracks. There are currently three singles out – “Gravity Don’t Pull Me”, “EOS”, and most recently “Gwan”, a string-heavy track reminiscent of his work on Contra and Vampire Weekend.

This spring marks the first time Rostam has toured as a solo artist, releasing his first full-length album under his own name. However, he is no stranger to the music industry. His past experience includes collaborating with artists such as Carly Rae Jepsen, Frank Ocean, and Solange as well as forming half of the project called Discovery he worked on with Ra Ra Riot vocalist Wes Miles. Last year, Rostam collaborated with Hamilton Leithauser of The Walkmen to release the critically acclaimed album, I Had A Dream That You Were Mine. He’s probably best know for his work with indie-cult favorite, Vampire Weekend, where he served a key role in song-writing and producing as well as backing vocals, guitar, and keyboard. While the spotlight was often turned towards front man Ezra Koenig, Rostam was largely responsible for crafting the unique sound of the foursome.

In an interview with the 9:30 Club, he has promised us a preview of his next album in conjunction with graphic designs that he created to serve as an added element. This concert will be the first step of many in developing Rostam as the whole instead of a piece. Don’t miss out on what will truly be an experience of a concert. The show will also feature performances by Deradoorian and Nat Baldwin.

 Get tickets here: http://bit.ly/Rostam930WRGW
— Claire Kostohryz

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