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| photo: Matthew Weinberger |
“Back of a Truck” was co-written by Rostam and Tobias Jesso Jr. The track pulls together elements of Americana and the traditional Persian music of his upbringing with Amir Yaghmai on electric saz and Daniel Aged playing pedal steel throughout the instrumental.
The music video for “Back of a Truck” tells a queer love story set on a road trip from New York City to Provincetown, MA. The video stars Milo Cassidy and Offering Rain and was directed by Antony Muse.
Rostam says of the track:
““Back of a Truck” is about that feeling of being reminded of someone you used to know; hearing that song on the radio—or maybe it’s the smell of laundry that brings you back, then smiling to yourself and wishing them well, choosing to remember it in a way that lets go of the bad and holds on to the good.
Musically I wanted to make a song that captures the feeling of driving through America with your windows down. Putting elements next to each other that I had not heard together before. Country pedal steel next to Middle Eastern microtonal melodies. It feels like the America I know, and for that reason, it’s the centerpiece of the new record.”
CLICK TO WATCH “BACK OF A TRUCK” MUSIC VIDEO
Rostam recently hosted advance screenings of American Stories: A Concert Film in Los Angeles and New York City. The film sees Rostam teaming with his six piece band and director Antony Muse for an 8-song live performance shot at the legendary Sound City Studio A where Nirvana, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty and countless others have recorded.
Rostam recently hosted advance screenings of American Stories: A Concert Film in Los Angeles and New York City. The film sees Rostam teaming with his six piece band and director Antony Muse for an 8-song live performance shot at the legendary Sound City Studio A where Nirvana, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty and countless others have recorded.
He brought in fellow Iranian-American Amir Yaghmai (The Voidz) on the album.
“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. I became addicted to it.”
He was joined by Clairo on vocals (for “Hardy”), Yaghmai on saz, violin and guitar, Daniel Aged on upright bass and pedal steel, Paul Cartwright on violin, Gabe Noel on cello and upright bass, Hamilton Berry on cello, Henry Solomon on flute and clarinet and Andrew Tachine and Joey Messina-Doerning on drums.
While it’s been five years since his last solo album, Rostam has been working consistently with other artists in that time frame, including earning GRAMMY nominations for his production work with Haim and producing for Georgia, Carly Rae Jepson, Santigold and Vagabon.
The album’s cover is the American flag presented upside down. Rostam discusses the intentionality behind this choice:
“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.”
Track listing:
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
North American Tour Dates:
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
North American 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*
June18 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*
# Zsela
* Henry Solomon
! Henry Solomon + Elori Saxl
^ Bad Actor
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*
June18 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*
# Zsela
* Henry Solomon
! Henry Solomon + Elori Saxl
^ Bad Actor
