Vampire Weekend is one step closer to becoming a solo act, thanks to the just-announced departure of Rostam Batmanglij.
On Tuesday, the band’s co-founder and producer shared a note with fans via his Twitter account, confirming his departure from the group. “I wanted to let ppl kno that I’m no longer a member of VW," the 32-year-old wrote, “but that Ezra and I will continue to collaborate on future projects + future VW songs.”
He added that “there is so much amazing music - all of it dear to me - on its way to you.” Although the Vampire Weekend's Twitter account retweeted Batmanglij’s statement, his former bandmates have yet to individually comment on his departure.
The announcement comes a little over a week after the release of Batmanglij’s solo single, “EOS.” Rolling Stone reported that Vampire Weekend formed back in 2006, when Batmanglij, Ezra Koenig, Chris Baio, and Christopher Tomson were all undergraduates at Columbia University in New York City. In 2013, the group snapped up a Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album for their Modern Vampires of the City album.