![\"Exchanging](\"https:\/\/www.clashmusic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/RB-shot-by-Matthew-Weinberger_002294280037.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nInfluences and Creative Processes<\/h3>\n
Rostam’s creative influences are diverse and deeply integrated into his work. He cited Keith McNally’s memoir, "I Regret Almost Everything," as a recent source of inspiration, noting that it made him consider writing his own memoir and deepened his reflection on New York City’s significance to him. This connection to New York is visually represented in a series of videos for each song, where Rostam is filmed walking the streets of Brooklyn and Manhattan. He also expressed profound admiration for Julian Schnabel’s film "Basquiat," calling it one of his favorite movies and a significant inspiration for both his music and art.<\/p>\n
The idea that artistic creation can occur without a definitive timeline is a concept Rostam embraces. "If I\u2019m honest, the take was me exploring and saying out loud this thing I\u2019m afraid of," he remarked, referencing a previous interview about the unpredictable nature of his best work. "It\u2019s just like Kareem says, embrace the chaos. I have no idea how this album will enter the universe or enter the cultural world. But at the same time, we never know how the art we make will be received. You just have to trust your gut." This philosophy underscores a commitment to authentic expression over calculated reception.<\/p>\n
The Nuances of "Come Apart" and Musical Evolution<\/h3>\n
The song "Come Apart" holds particular significance for Rostam. He described the genesis of the chorus, "I know that the world will come apart," as a moment where the melody, lyrics, and chords coalesced simultaneously. Reflecting on the lyrical content, he mused, "I had this moment where I asked myself, ‘What are you saying?’ As time has gone by, it seems I\u2019ve become more in touch with what I wanted to express. I should say maybe it\u2019s become more relevant." This evolution in understanding highlights the dynamic relationship between artist and creation, where meaning can deepen and transform over time. He further elaborated on the enigmatic nature of songwriting: "That\u2019s what I love about songwriting, where something can come out of you, and you don\u2019t know what it is or where it came from, and then you have to build a song around this thing that you like\u2026 but you don\u2019t fully understand. I love that about songwriting. And everybody\u2019s going to hear what they want to hear through their own experiences and how they relate to it." This perspective emphasizes the subjective experience of the listener and the inherent interpretative power of music.<\/p>\n
Rostam’s extensive work in production and scoring has undoubtedly informed "American Stories." He finds distinct joys in both disciplines, noting that the past year has been largely dedicated to his solo album, with Avalon Emerson being a notable exception in his production work. He expressed curiosity about the possibility of creating two albums back-to-back, a feat he hasn’t accomplished in his career due to his consistent engagement with producing for other artists between his own releases.<\/p>\n
His working methodology often involves building instrumental tracks that he holds onto for extended periods before developing songs around them. This mirrors the process for "Come Apart," where a core lyrical idea served as the foundation. "I find it\u2019s often actually musical ideas that I generate, and I\u2019ll just start recording them, because I have a studio, so I can record things at the highest quality from the beginning," Rostam explained. "There isn\u2019t a traditional demo phase. My only version of a demo phase would be to record something in my living room or kitchen on a piano or guitar, and record it with my iPhone voice memo app. And then pretty soon, if I like it, I start recording at my studio, which usually becomes the final product." This approach signifies a direct and high-fidelity creative process, minimizing intermediate stages and focusing on immediate realization.<\/p>\n
Harmonious Collaborations<\/h3>\n
The collaborations with Clairo and Amir Yaghmai on "American Stories" are described by Rostam as feeling "perfect for the record." He elaborated on the dynamic with Amir, stating, "Amir studied Persian music academically, and I have only studied classical music academically, so my knowledge of Persian music is much more from a self-taught perspective. To do what I wanted to do on this album, I needed a mirror." This illustrates the complementary nature of their skills, with Yaghmai’s academic rigor providing a crucial balance to Rostam’s intuitive approach.<\/p>\n
Regarding the collaboration with Clairo on "Hardy," Rostam shared that the vocal range for a particular section of the song was challenging for him. "And for ‘Hardy,’ that portion of the song was either going to be too low or too high for my voice," he recalled. "So, I was just sort of curious what Claire might sound like singing that section. And then when I played it for her, she was into it. So that was kind of like kismet." This serendipitous encounter and Clairo’s enthusiastic response highlight the organic development of these artistic partnerships.<\/p>\n
Favorite Tracks and Hopes for "American Stories"<\/h3>\n
When asked about his favorite song on the record, Rostam pointed to "The Road to Death," particularly for its lyrical content. "I think my favourite lyrics are on ‘The Road to Death’," he revealed. "What I\u2019m proud of in that song is that it has a sense of humour." He drew a parallel to Charli XCX’s song "Rock Music," appreciating its ability to inhabit a space between seriousness and playfulness. Rostam aspires to incorporate more of this duality into his own work. "The Road to Death," he explained, possesses a universal quality, stemming from a past conversation about mortality. He found the idea of death as a consequence of the immune system’s gradual decline to be a profound realization. However, the song also delves into deeply personal territory, as evidenced by the line, "My father carries the name of a prophet \/ But Dad was no believer." This refers to his father, Mohammad, and a childhood memory of questioning his father’s faith.<\/p>\n
Another passage of music that Rostam holds in high regard is the outro of "The Weight." He reiterated his pride in its ability to convey optimism about the world through its chords and melodies, while simultaneously defying Western musical conventions. "What I\u2019m proud of about that outro in ‘The Weight’ is that there\u2019s a sense of optimism about the world that I think is conveyed in those chords and melodies, and yet it also does not conform to the rules of Western music. It\u2019s clearly Middle Eastern music or some kind of hybrid of East and West."<\/p>\n
Looking ahead, Rostam expressed a specific curiosity about the album’s reception rather than a concrete hope. "One of the concepts that I had going into this album was that it would be my folk album, and as such, I think that there is probably a wider audience for guitar folk songs," he stated. "I\u2019m curious as to whether those people will become interested in me. It\u2019s more a curiosity than a hope. I\u2019m curious about the breadth of my appeal as a songwriter." This forward-looking statement suggests a desire to understand the reach and impact of his evolving artistic identity across different listener demographics.<\/p>\n
"American Stories" stands as a significant artistic statement, weaving together personal history, cultural heritage, and a hopeful outlook on the human condition. Through its intricate production, diverse collaborations, and profound lyrical explorations, Rostam Batmanglij continues to solidify his position as a singular voice in contemporary music.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Rostam Batmanglij, the acclaimed producer and songwriter, has unveiled his third solo studio album, "American Stories," a collection that, at its core, radiates optimism despite navigating profound themes such as…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":10181,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[550],"tags":[26,232,134,7523,7524,40,7525,233,7522,2115,1382,2973,234],"class_list":["post-10182","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-indie-alternative-rock","tag-album","tag-alternative","tag-american","tag-batmanglij","tag-imbues","tag-indie","tag-optimism","tag-rock","tag-rostam","tag-stories","tag-studio","tag-third","tag-underground"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/empire-music.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10182","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/empire-music.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/empire-music.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/empire-music.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/empire-music.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10182"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/empire-music.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10182\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/empire-music.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10181"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/empire-music.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10182"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/empire-music.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10182"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/empire-music.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10182"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}