Q

Rostam's journey from Vampire Weekend to his solo breakout

Former Vampire Weekend band member Rostam Batmanglij steps out on his own with his debut solo effort, Half-Light.
Rostam performing live in the q studios in Toronto, Ont. (CBC q)

Rostam Batmanglij has been wanting to make a solo album since he was a music major at Columbia University, but he was side-tracked by the huge success of another project: Vampire Weekend. Last year, Batmanglij announced his departure from the indie rock band and last month, he finally released his debut album, Half-Light

Today, Batmanglij joins Tom Power in the q studio to perform songs from that record and to discuss his journey from Vampire Weekend's meteoric success to his decision to go solo. 

— Produced by Ty Callender