Rostam shares “Hardy” with Clairo ahead of American Stories

Rostam and Clairo have already crossed paths plenty of times, but their latest collaboration lands just ahead of his new solo album. Batmanglij, the former Vampire Weekend member, and Claire Cottrill worked together in 2019 on Clairo’s debut album Immunity. Now, with American Stories due later this week, Clairo is the only featured guest on the record. Following the earlier releases of “Like A Spark” and “Back Of A Truck,” Rostam has shared their new song “Hardy.”

The track takes its title from French singer François Hardy, who was originally sampled on the song. That sample is no longer on the finished version. Instead, “Hardy” now includes a sample from Georges Delerue’s score for François Truffaut’s Day For Night. Rostam says he had been holding onto the instrumental since 2012. The final arrangement also features cello from Hamilton Berry, bass clarinet from Henry Solomon, and piano from Rostam.

The song leans on its string line, which gives the track its shape. Rostam layers drums and effects around it while singing in a soft murmur. When Clairo enters, her vocal sits lightly on top of the arrangement. In a press release, Rostam said, “‘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.” Check out the Antony Muse-directed video below.

American Stories is out 5/15 on Matsor Projects/Secretly Distribution.