Rostam unearths original version of Vampire Weekend’s ‘Campus’

Sunday, February 22, 2026 at 7:04 PM

Founding Vampire Weekend member Rostam Batmanglij aka Rostam has released the original version of the song "Campus," a track off the band's 2008 self-titled debut album. "I was interested in creating a piece of music that was built around a cello, a kick drum, and [...]

Founding Vampire Weekend member Rostam Batmanglij aka Rostam has released the original version of the song "Campus," a track off the band's 2008 self-titled debut album.

"I was interested in creating a piece of music that was built around a cello, a kick drum, and a vocal that told a story," Rostam says in a statement. "Robyn's 'Be Mine' was an inspiration. From the first time we tried playing it as a band with rock instruments, it happened to work. That was a happy accident, but I always intended for this original version to see the light of day someday."

He adds, "There are some small differences in lyrics between this version and our Vampire Weekend version and I'm sure some people will notice them. I'm happy that version exists and I'm also happy this one is out in the world now too."

Along with Vampire Weekend's debut, Rostam played on the band's next two records, 2010's Contra and 2013's Modern Vampires of the City, before leaving the group in 2016. He's since launched a solo career, and has produced albums for artists including HAIM and Clairo.

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