Rostam Batmanglij

Rostam Batmanglij's parents (a publisher and a cookbook author) had escaped Khomeini's Iran, originally fleeing to Paris, France, as did numerous political refugees at the time. His brother Zal was born there, in 1981. Then, in 1983, the family moved to Washington, D.C. A few months later, Rostam was born. Brother Zal is a renowned film director (Sound Of My Voice, The East).

Both brothers are gay. Zal has said: "It's awesome to be part of a gay family. Right now, my brother and I can focus on our work, our creative work, and our parents are part of that."

Rostam majored in music in Columbia University in 2006. There, Vampire Weekend were formed. Rostam produced their first two albums and co-produced the third. He was their keyboard man. He also shared lead vocal and guitar playing, as well as lyric-writing duties, with Ezra Koenig. The others are Chris Baio on bass and Chris Tomson on drums. Rostam left the group in January 2016 to pursue a solo career, although both he and Koenig said that they would continue to collaborate.

Their first album earned great reviews (82% in Metacritic) and went gold in the US and platinum in the UK. Their second album Contra (2010) was equally well received, both by critics (81% in Metacritic), as well as by the public (#1 in Billboard's Top 200 and a gold certification). There, we find the song Diplomat's Son.

Diplomat's Son tells a story familiar to many of us, especially in our formative years: when is the right time to make a move?

"It’s not right but it’s now or never

And if I wait could I ever forgive myself?"

He does make the move and the outcome is bittersweet:

"I know, you’ll say

I’m not doing it right

But this is how I want it

I can’t go back

To how I felt before—

That night I smoked a joint

With my best friend

We found ourselves in bed

When I woke up he was gone

He was a diplomat’s son

It was ‘81"

This is the video, starring a lovely stuffed unicorn: 

A few months earlier, Rostam and friend Wesley Miles (vocalist of Ra Ra Riot) collaborated under the name of Discovery and released an album called LP. In it, I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend was included. The lyrics went: "I wanna be your boyfriend, but I don't want anyone to know."

Here's the video:

Earlier this year, Rostam Batmanglij, now a solo artist, recorded Gravity Don't Pull Me. The lyrics go:

"Now it's been so many years

I wish I could say honestly

gravity don't pull me

that feeling coming through my body

a train under my feet

that's hurtling beneath me

and the worst way I ever felt

was from this same boy that I still miss

'cause I messed it up

and it broke my heart

and the worst things I ever did

was to this same boy I couldn't help it

I messed things up

and it broke my heart

now it's been so long I honestly

wish I could see clearly

but the memory still hurts me

if I feel it in the morning

a gentle street that's bustling

underneath my open window

but the worst way...

...and I broke his heart"

The video:

I'm sure that we'll hear much more from Rostam in the years to come. Hopefully he will live up to his promise.