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Quote by Rostam Batmanglij

“I took one piano lesson and hated it and then didn't take any piano lessons until I was 18.”

Quote by Rostam Batmanglij

Author

Rostam Batmanglij

Rostam Batmanglij, born on November 28, 1983, is an accomplished songwriter of Iranian descent. Renowned for his unique musical style and profound understanding of popular music, Rostam's work blends various musical elements, including folk, electronic, and rock, bringing a new voice to the modern music scene. more

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“I did take guitar lessons as a teenager, though, and I started to teach myself how to play everything I could play on the guitar on piano, so I had a really weird, non-traditional route to proficiency. I think it probably helped me come at things from a new angle.”

Thinking Teach Teenager Really Weird

Author:Rostam Batmanglij

“I was lucky to have a guitar teacher who asked me what I wanted to learn. I brought in "High & Dry" by Radiohead and "Mr. Jones" by Counting Crows and he was like, "Alright, I'm gonna teach you these, but you're also gonna learn some stuff that I want you to learn." He taught me Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton, so I was getting the technical stuff and the fun stuff.”

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Author:Rostam Batmanglij

“At some point I decided I didn't want to learn any more guitar technique. I was at that level where the next mountain there was to climb was Van Halen and I didn't really like Van Halen.”

Mountain Van Halen

Author:Rostam Batmanglij

“It took me some time to join the various streams of making music that was technically good and making music that made me feel good.”

Various Feel Good

Author:Rostam Batmanglij

“Throughout college I was getting better and better at making recordings, producing songs, making different kinds of beats. I was starting to learn the signifiers of production from the '60s, the '80s. We never re-recorded anything. All the record companies that wanted to sign us - except for one - were excited about the recordings that we had done ourselves.”

Kind Different Done Song College Excited Get Better Different Kinds

Author:Rostam Batmanglij

“I wanted to make an album where every song is kind of interacting - where you can't tell what's the string arrangement and what's the song. I guess that came out of going to college, majoring in music, studying classical music, and even as a kid, being really drawn to classical music.”

Kind Kids Song Study College Being Real Classical Music Going To College

Author:Rostam Batmanglij

“As far as the lyrics go, I think I was negotiating a moment in my life where I didn't feel happy. I think I had some existential frustration and I was wrestling with that on a few different levels. I was feeling like I wanted to change a lot of things.”

Thinking Different Moments Feelings Frustration Wrestling Existential

Author:Rostam Batmanglij

“I like the idea that a song can be about a romantic relationship, but it can also about a relationship to your career, or a relationship to your city. It can be about a person, but at the same time it can be about a situation.”

Song Situation Romantic Relationship

Author:Rostam Batmanglij

“I had no problem working for 15 hours straight when I was producing someone else, but I couldn't do it with my own songs. It took that moment of pointing the camera at myself to realize that it was okay to get lost in making my own music. I think before that I was scared of pushing myself to the point of staring into the abyss.”

Thinking Moments Problem Song Realizing Hours Okay Scared Staring Abyss No Problem Pointing

Author:Rostam Batmanglij

“Obviously it always takes longer to finish an album than you think it will. That's always going to be the case. Everything takes longer than you think it will. Occasionally things happen fast.”

Thinking Things Happen

Author:Rostam Batmanglij