Rostam Shares New Single and Video “Hardy” Featuring Clairo
The American Stories Tour begins on May 27
GRAMMY-winning recording artist, songwriter, producer, and composer Rostam has shared the latest single for his highly anticipated new album American Stories out this Friday May 15 via his own label, Matsor Projects, in partnership with Secretly Distribution. “Hardy” features indie luminary Clairo in a duet that reunites the pair after she and Rostam produced her debut album Immunity together in 2019.
The track is a soaring sonic exploration of songwriting itself. Rostam created the song’s instrumental in 2012 using a sample of Georges Delerue’s film score from Day for Night, a movie by Francis Truffaut, while sampling drums alongside it from a song by François Hardy. Though the François Hardy sample did not make the final track, it inspired the song’s name. Rostam revisited the track a few years ago, completing the lyrics and melody. The finished recording also features cello by Hamilton Berry, bass clarinet by Henry Solomon, and piano performed by Rostam himself. The new song is also featured on New Music Daily on Apple Music.
Rostam says of the song and video:
“‘Hardy’ is a song about looking forward and looking back. Ultimately, I hope it leaves you with some feeling of hope for the future. I’m so happy Claire could make a guest appearance and sing her own section of the song— I have always loved the way her voice communicates optimism.”
The video premiered last week at a special advance screening of American Stories: A Concert Film at New York’s Anthology Film Archives. 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. The film will premiere on YouTube on Thursday, May 14. Rostam is hosting a second screening tonight, May 11, at Los Angeles’ Brain Dead Studios. The event will include a post-screening Q&A with Rostam and director Antony Muse, as well as a live performance.
An accomplished multi-instrumentalist, Rostam’s vocals are complimented by his own playing across American Stories on acoustic guitar and piano and, in places, drums and percussion. These influences intertwine seamlessly with Rostam’s lyrics, which reflect on his lived experience as an American, creating a work that feels both deeply personal and intercultural. American Stories quilts together elements of Americana and the traditional Persian music of Rostam’s upbringing.
Clairo is just one of the many talented friends Rostam brought in for American Stories. He was also joined by fellow Iranian-American Amir Yaghmai on electric and acoustic 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, Joey Messina-Doerning on drums, and a couple of co-writing appearances for Grammy-winning songwriter Tobias Jesso Jr.
This spring, Rostam and his band will be touring across North America in support of American Stories. Kicking off in San Diego on May 27, the tour will include stops in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York and more wrapping on June 20 in Washington DC. Full routing is below. Tickets are on sale now.
SPECIAL IN STORE PERFORMANCES
May 16 New York, NY @ Rough Trade New York
May 20 Los Angeles, CA @ Amoeba Music
ROSTAM 2026 NORTH AMERICAN AND EUROPE TOUR
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 13 Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line
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!
Sept 6 Salisbury, UK @ End of the Road Festival
Sept 8 London, UK @ Village Underground^
Sept 9 Paris, FR @ La Maroquinerie^
Sept 12 Amsterdam, NL @ Bitterzoet
Sept 13 Berlin, DE @ Berghain Kantine^
Sept 15 Stockholm Nalen Klubb^
# Zsela
* Henry Solomon
! Henry Solomon + Elori Saxl
^ Bad Actor
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