Rostam officially announced his new album American Stories a little over a month ago. It's coming out at the beginning of May. He shared the lead single "Like A Spark," and today he's back with the follow-up single "Back Of A Truck." It comes with beautiful video directed by Antony Muse, starring Milo Cassidy and Offering Rain on a road trip rom New York City to Provincetown, MA. It's instilled in me the fervent desire to fall in love and go on a road trip.
Rostam co-wrote "Back Of A Truck" with Tobias Jesso Jr. The song blends the twang of pedal steel (courtesy of Daniel Aged) with Middle Eastern microtonal melodies (played by Amir Yaghmai on electric saz). It feels sunny and strong, like a good morning stretch.
Rostam sings about the small moments that bring the ghosts of an old relationship to life in one's mind: "Saw it written on the back of a truck/ Six words from a song you loved." The following line changes in every chorus, switching from "Don't don't think twice no it's alright" (a nod to Bob Dylan's 1962 folk song) to "You just keep me hangin' on," words that were first recorded by the Supremes in 1966.
Rostam shared about the new single:
"Back of a Truck” is about that feeling of being reminded of someone you used to know; hearing that song on the radio—or maybe it’s the smell of laundry that brings you back, then smiling to yourself and wishing them well, choosing to remember it in a way that lets go of the bad and holds on to the good.
Musically I wanted to make a song that captures the feeling of driving through America with your windows down. Putting elements next to each other that I had not heard together before. Country Pedal steel next to Middle Eastern microtonal melodies. It feels like the America I know, and for that reason, it’s the centerpiece of the new record.
Watch the video for "Back Of A Truck" below.
American Stories is out 5/15 via Matsor Projects/Secretly Distribution. Pre-order it here.
