Rostam's third album, American Stories, arrives May 15, his first new music in over five years. The Iranian-American artist and acclaimed producer returns with a record that explores his life across dual cultural worlds. The music weaves together elements of Americana and Persian traditions, blending finger-picked guitars, pedal steel, and strummed chords with microtonal Persian melodies. "That marriage of east and west felt like music that I needed to make for this album." Interweaving his own experiences, Rostam's lyrics are a collection of stories and reflections, "The Weight" takes place on college campuses in America in the spring of 2025. In