Rostam at Village Underground
I have a load of gigs booked for this autumn, so I've decided to try and create as many bits of artwork inspired by them as I can.
First up, on Tuesday 8th September, American musician and producer Rostam plays Village Underground in London in support of his latest solo record “American Stories”. An album about his experiences as an Iranian American, he seamlessly blends twangs of Americana with intricate Persian melodies, with his fascinating behind-the-scenes bonus content educating music-theory heathens like me about the wonder of microtonal instruments - way before the viral sensation Angine de Poitrine took it to the masses.
IT'S THE NOTES BETWEEN THE NOTES!
When I think of Village Underground, a venue not far from where I used to live, I picture the tube carriages on the roof and the iconic graffiti "Let's Adore and Endure Each Other" by another American artist, Stephen “ESMO” Powers. It feels poetic to me that this collection of songs will be played in a building with such a statement proudly painted on its wall.
© Copyright Village Underground
So, in honour of Rostam's gig, I've drawn the venue and reworked ESPO's graffiti into Persian (I can only hope, correctly). I used a colour palette based on the "American Stories" album cover (which features an upside-down American flag) and wanted the vibe to reflect the opening line from the song Hardy - "I love the feeling of the city at dusk".
If you like music, check Rostam out on Insta. I wish I could download his musical knowledge to my brain, but I am happy to settle for being inspired by his creative output instead.
