"At some point in making this record I realized the album I wanted to make was one that reflected my identity as both Iranian and American. Pushing the most Iranian elements right up against the most American ones brought me a certain kind of joy. The first time I put microtonal saz melodies over Western guitar chords, I was thrown off by the way the two rubbed together. But the more I listened the more I became drawn to that rub."
"The presentation of the flag upside down is something that the Left, the Right, and the Native American Land Back movement have all made use of. It's a symbology that's shared by all these groups and yet could mean different things to each of us. I'm interested in that conversation; that conversation is fundamentally American."
Rostam, former Vampire Weekend member, announces his third album American Stories, arriving May 15 through his Matsor Projects label. The album follows 2021's Changephobia and explores his dual Iranian-American identity by juxtaposing microtonal saz melodies with Western guitar chords. Collaborators include Amir Yaghmai of The Voidz, Clairo, and various instrumentalists including violinists, cellists, and percussionists. Tom Elmhirst mixed the album while Emily Lazar mastered it. The cover features an upside-down American flag, symbolizing shared meaning across political and cultural movements. Rostam accompanies the release with North American tour dates through May and June, followed by European performances in September.
Read at BrooklynVegan
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