The musician says his 'identity as a songwriter and producer ... needs to stand on its own' though he's still going to work with Ezra Koenig on Vampire Weekend's future songs.
- Jan 27, 2016
AceShowbiz - Rostam Batmanglij is no longer a part of Vampire Weekend. While announcing his departure from the band in a statement posted on Twitter Tuesday, January 26, the musician said that he'd still be collaborating with frontman Ezra Koenig on the group's future songs, but his "identity as a songwriter and producer ... needs to stand on its own."
"I can't even begin to express the joy I get from writing songs, both on my own + with others, I hold it all sacred. There is so much amazing music - all of it dear to me - on its way to you. It's an exciting time. And I feel lucky to share it with you," he added.
— Rostam Batmanglij (@matsoR) January 26, 2016
Batmanglij, along with Koenig, did write most of Vampire Weekend's music and lyrics. He's also credited as either producer or co-producer of three of the band's albums. In between his projects with the group, he helped produce and write songs for the likes of Carly Rae Jepsen, Jenny Lewis and Charli XCX in addition to performing as a solo artist. Recently, he put out a new solo single called "EOS".
Following Batmanglij's exit announcement, Koenig shared on Instagram his response, saying that Vampire Weekend had been focusing on recording their next album and he's personally excited about other stuff Batmanglij's attached to.
"I'm psyched about the work we've already begun for LP4 and I'm psyched to hear anything else Rostam is a part of," he wrote. "For now in the Vampire Weekend universe, it's all about recording the next album. There will be a lot of familiar faces in the studio but also some fresh, new ones. Working title is 'Mitsubishi Macchiato'...for obvious reasons."
