New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Last month, Rostam has released a brand new single "In A River". Today, he offers a fully reinvented acoustic version, that gives new depth and feeling to the song.
"In A River" is the first new song since the release of Half-Light, the debut album from
September 2017 on Nonesuch, which NPR called "one of the year's most arresting albums" and the Daily Beast called "a sublime collection of Baroque Pop". Through his own works and as a producer, Rostam has proven to be a songwriter who is strategic in his technical songwriting and effusive in his emotions.
"In A River's" reworked version is a warm counterpoint to the original. "We are swimming / with no clothes on / in a river in the dark. / And I am holding / onto you, boy / in the faint light of the stars." Met with the pinnacle of Mandolin solo, the lyrics end with, "We are lying on the beach now / everything is warm / we are staying up through a wild night / we are staying up in the faint light / of the headlights / of passing cars."
On December 5th, Rostam is set to play The Ally Coalition's Fifth Annual Talent Show--a night that channels the power of music and comedy towards equality. Playing alongside musicians such as
Regina Spektor, Mitski, Bleachers, and comedians Sasher Zamata and Jacqueline Novak, the event is geared towards benefiting organizations serving queer and trans youth. Tickets will go on sale Saturday, November 3rd at 1pm ET.
After that, Rostam once again returns to New York City for a night at the Lincoln Center's American Songbook on January 31, 2019. He is set to play in the Appel Room. Tickets go on sale November 15.
Grammy Award-winning songwriter and producer Rostam Batmanglij was born to Iranian refugee parents in Washington, DC in 1983. He attended Columbia University, where he quickly developed as a producer, songwriter, and recording artist. After producing three gold records with Vampire Weekend, Rostam began contributing to the songwriting and production of some of the most important artists of the decade such as
Frank Ocean and
Solange and most recently worked on new music with
Lykke Li and Maggie Rogers.
