Published May 31, 2021 8 Change is hard. If there's anything the past few years have proven, it's that even the threat of upheaval can send anyone into an anxious fit. Rostam Batmanglij is no stranger to change. As a member of Vampire Weekend, he was once a poster child for late-aughts indie rock and the hipsterfication of Brooklyn. Now, the multi-instrumentalist, producer and songwriter is a Los Angeles-based free agent, collaborating with anyone that suits his artistic muse, a transition roughly the equivalent of ditching your family and starting a new business. By all accounts, the change did him well and he still sees the kids on weekends.