Rostam releases Hardy featuring Clairo from American Stories due May 15 via Matsor Projects, with the new single arriving alongside concert film rollout and YouTube premiere plans
by Paul Cashmere
GRAMMY-winning artist, producer and songwriter Rostam has released “Hardy”, a new duet featuring Clairo, as the latest preview of his forthcoming album American Stories, due May 15 via his label Matsor Projects in partnership with Secretly Distribution. The single arrives as part of a wider rollout that includes a concert film, advance screenings in New York and Los Angeles, and a YouTube premiere scheduled for Thursday, May 14. The collaboration reunites Rostam and Clairo after he co-produced her 2019 debut album Immunity, marking a renewed creative connection between the two artists.
“Hardy” sits at a pivotal moment in the American Stories campaign, positioning itself as both a standalone single and a conceptual anchor within the album’s broader exploration of identity, memory and musical construction. The track also carries additional visibility through Apple Music’s New Music Daily feature, extending its reach ahead of the full album release.
At its core, “Hardy” is a long-gestating composition that traces back to 2012, when Rostam first developed its instrumental foundation using a sample from Georges Delerue’s score for François Truffaut’s Day for Night. The early version also incorporated drum elements referencing a François Hardy recording, a detail that ultimately influenced the track’s title even though the sample itself did not remain in the finished mix. Years later, Rostam returned to the piece, completing its lyrical structure and melodic framework while preserving its layered, archival origins.
The finished recording expands into an intricate chamber-style arrangement featuring cello from Hamilton Berry, bass clarinet by Henry Solomon, and piano performed by Rostam himself. The instrumentation reflects his continued approach to hybrid composition, where acoustic performance and sampled source material are woven into a single sonic environment. Clairo’s contribution functions as a central vocal counterpoint, reinforcing the duet structure and adding tonal contrast to the arrangement.
Rostam described the single as a reflective work shaped by temporal duality. “‘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,” he said.
The release is paired with the rollout of American Stories: A Concert Film, which features Rostam performing with his six-piece band and director Antony Muse. The film was shot at Sound City Studio A in Los Angeles, a studio with a long recording lineage including Nirvana, Fleetwood Mac and Tom Petty. It premiered in advance screening form at Anthology Film Archives in New York, with another event held at Brain Dead Studios in Los Angeles on May 11, including a live performance and post-screening Q&A. The full film is set to premiere on YouTube on May 14.
American Stories also highlights Rostam’s multi-instrumental role across the album, with performances spanning acoustic guitar, piano, drums and percussion. The record reflects his lived experience as an American artist of Iranian heritage, blending Americana traditions with Persian musical influences drawn from his upbringing. This synthesis is central to the album’s identity and is further developed through collaborations across its tracklist.
Clairo is one of several contributors to the project. The album also features Iranian-American musician Amir Yaghmai on saz and guitar, Daniel Aged on upright bass and pedal steel, Paul Cartwright on violin, Gabe Noel on cello and bass, Hamilton Berry on cello, Henry Solomon on flute and clarinet, and drummers Andrew Tachine and Joey Messina-Doerning. Grammy-winning songwriter Tobias Jesso Jr. also appears in co-writing capacities, underscoring the collaborative framework behind the record.
Within Rostam’s catalogue, American Stories extends the trajectory established on his solo albums Half-Light and Changephobia, both of which explored the intersection of electronic production and organic instrumentation. His earlier work with Vampire Weekend also established a foundation for genre fusion, incorporating global influences into indie pop structures. “Hardy” continues that evolution, situating sampled film score material alongside contemporary chamber instrumentation and pop vocal interplay.
The “other side” of the rollout lies in its integration of archival material and live performance context, which reflects a broader industry movement towards hybrid release strategies. Rather than functioning solely as a single, “Hardy” operates within a multi-format ecosystem that includes film, live performance, and streaming-first distribution. While this approach allows for expanded audience engagement, it also places greater emphasis on narrative cohesion across mediums, something Rostam has consistently prioritised.
As American Stories approaches release, “Hardy” functions as both a culmination of long-term compositional development and a preview of the album’s structural ambitions. Its blend of historical sampling, orchestral arrangement and contemporary collaboration underscores Rostam’s ongoing commitment to cross-cultural and cross-temporal music-making.
The next phase of the project will arrive with the full release of American Stories on May 15, followed closely by continued promotion of the concert film and associated live performances, positioning Rostam’s latest work as both a recorded and cinematic experience.
American Stories Tracklisting
Like A Spark
Back Of A Truck
Different Light
Hardy (feat. Clairo)
Forgive Is To Know
To Feel No Way
The Road To Death
Come Apart
The Weight
Stay updated with your free Noise11.com daily music news email alert. Subscribe to Noise11 Music News here
Be the first to see NOISE11.com’s newest interviews and special features on YouTube. See things first-Subscribe to Noise11 on YouTube
Follow Noise11.com on social media:
Bluesky
Instagram
Facebook – Comment on the news of the day
X (Twitter)
