Former Vampire Weekend member Rostam has announced his third album, American Stories, due out May 15 via his Matsor Projects label. It’s the follow-up to 2021’s Changephobia, and it features contributions from fellow Iranian-American artist Amir Yaghmai of The Voidz. “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,” Rostam says. “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. I became addicted to it.”
American Stories also features Clairo (vocals), Daniel Aged (upright bass and pedal steel), Paul Cartwright (violin), Gabe Noel (cello and upright bass), Hamilton Berry (cello), Henry Solomon (flute and clarinet), and Andrew Tachine and Joey Messina-Doerning (drums). Rostam produced it, and it was mixed by Tom Elmhirst and mastered by Emily Lazar, with Tobias Jesso Jr. contributing co-writing to a couple of tracks.
About the cover art, which features an upside-down American flag, Rostam says, “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.” See that and the tracklist, and watch the video for the lead single, “Like a Spark,” below.
Rostam also announced a North American tour running through May and June, followed by European dates in September. He’ll be in NYC on June 18 at Webster Hall with Zsela and Henry Solomon. Tickets to that and all dates go on sale Friday, March 13 at 10 AM local, with various presales starting Wednesday, March 11 at 10 AM local.
ROSTAM – AMERICAN STORIES TRACKLIST
Like a Spark
Back of a Truck
Different Light
Hardy (feat. Clairo)
Forgive Is To Know
To Feel No Way
The Road to Death
Come Apart
The Weight
ROSTAM: 2026 TOUR DATES
May 27 San Diego, CA @ Music Box *
May 30 Los Angeles, CA @ The Ford #*
June 3 San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel *
June 5 Vancouver, BC @ Fortune Sound Club *!
June 6 Portland, OR @ Aladdin Theater *!
June 7 Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile *!
June 9 Boise, ID @ Neurolux *
June 10 SLC, UT @ The State Room *
June 11 Denver, CO @ The Gothic Theater *
June 13 Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line KCMP/Electric Fetus *
June 14 Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall *
June 15 Toronto, ON @ The Opera House *
June 17 Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair *
June 18 New York, NY @ Webster Hall #*
June 19 Philadelphia, PA @ Brooklyn Bowl *
June 20 Washington DC @ 9:30 Club *!
June 22 Saxapahaw, NC @ Haw River Ballroom *
June 23 Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West *
June 24 Nashville, TN @ Basement East *
June 26 Austin, TX @ Mohawk *
Sept 8 London, UK @ Village Underground ^
Sept 9 Paris, FR @ La Maroquinerie ^
Sept 12 Amsterdam, NL @ Berghain Kantine
Sept 13 Berlin, DE @ Privatclub ^
Sept 15 Stockholm Nalen Klubb ^
# with Zsela
* with Henry Solomon
! with Elori Saxl
^ with Bad Actor