Bags

Clairo

(19 min / 54 min)

Rostam Batmanglij, Clairo

  • Production

Watch Clairo and Rostam deconstruct the inspired production behind Clairo’s indie-pop hit, ‘Bags’.

Surrounded by sunlight in Rostam’s studio in Los Angeles, the two musicians look back on their experiences working together on Clairo’s genre-bending debut album, Immunity. Their creative chemistry is present throughout the series, as they unpack the original ProTools session for the album’s alt-pop single. Together they zoom in on the distinct vocal and instrumental performances delivered by Clairo during the demo process, as well as some of the outlandish production techniques used by Rostam to elevate the song’s simple structure. 

The series does not only cover the technical details - it also ventures into some of the more complex psychological aspects of record-making. As they trade stories from the recording process, the duo riff on the importance of building confidence and trust in the studio, and the value of trusting your instincts when the going gets tough. 

It all comes to a close with a conversation about the finishing process. Clairo and Rostam discuss how they cherry-picked a team of mix engineers that inspire them, and how they distributed different songs to different engineers in order to create an album that is diverse, adventurous, and unique.

Subtitles in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Russian, Italian, French


Rostam Batmanglij

About Rostam Batmanglij

Rostam Batmanglij is a producer, songwriter, artist, and one of the founding members of the American band, Vampire Weekend. The band’s reflective and understated sound cut through the wave of more aggressive indie rock that was prevalent during the late 2000s, bringing the band to international prominence. From the outset, Rostam took on the role of the group's producer in addition to his contributions as a musician and songwriter. His signature songs and arrangements are immediately recognizable...

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Clairo

About Clairo

Claire Elizabeth Cottrill, known professionally as Clairo, is an American singer-songwriter. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, and raised in Carlisle, Massachusetts, she began posting music on the internet at age 13.

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