Arooj Aftab (Musician) (3:32)

Thanks. Thanks for having me back. David.

David Fuerst (Host, WNYC) (3:33)

So we just heard a little bit of the first song on the album. Aye, nahin. I hope I'm.

Arooj Aftab (Musician) (3:39)

Yeah, you're nailing it.

David Fuerst (Host, WNYC) (3:40)

Close. Close to getting it.

Arooj Aftab (Musician) (3:42)

What.

David Fuerst (Host, WNYC) (3:42)

What does that phrase mean?

Arooj Aftab (Musician) (3:45)

You haven't arrived yet. You're not here yet.

David Fuerst (Host, WNYC) (3:47)

I feel like it's directed at me.

Arooj Aftab (Musician) (3:49)

Well, we're both here, so we're both here. Maybe not, but, yeah, that's what it. It's like you're waiting for someone and they're not here yet.

David Fuerst (Host, WNYC) (3:58)

If a listener is encountering your music for the very first time, how do you describe your music and what you do?

Arooj Aftab (Musician) (4:06)

I would say that it is really kind of immersive and fantastical. And quite simply, though, it's something that will make you feel like you're listening to something very familiar, but at the same time, you are also discovering and being astonished by new sounds.

David Fuerst (Host, WNYC) (4:24)

It just sounds wonderful having it wash over me as we're listening to it. I don't want to start talking on top of it. I feel like I'm interrupting something magical, as you're saying. Can you tell us when you first started singing, how you first started making music?

Arooj Aftab (Musician) (4:40)

I was a teenager with a guitar, you know, typical kind of trajectory. I was actually learning how to play the guitar myself and kind of creating these obscure, like, long guitar solo pieces just because I. I didn't really know how to play it. And I was learning chords, and then, of course, my schoolmates were like, well, aren't you gonna play, like, this cover? Aren't you gonna play U2? Aren't you gonna play, like. I started. They just started requesting songs that they like. So then I started learning the chords, and then. And then they were like, well, aren't you gonna sing it? You know? And so that's kind of how I got into playing the guitar for popular music and just at school for friends and stuff. And that's when I started singing, too.

David Fuerst (Host, WNYC) (5:23)

You were pushed into it by your friends?

Arooj Aftab (Musician) (5:25)

Yes.

David Fuerst (Host, WNYC) (5:26)

Now the album is called Night Rain, and you've called the night your biggest source of inspiration. Why is that? What is it about the night?

Arooj Aftab (Musician) (5:36)

The night is really deep and very versatile. And I think once I kind of. It's also really typical for musicians and creatives to gravitate towards the night. So it's not an entirely new concept, I think, but I think it was great for me to kind of let. Let me let it happen and like to just believe in it and just lean into it, you know? The night is for resting, it's for going out. It's for meeting people. It's for. It's for thinking about everything that happened over the last few days. It has a lot of range. And once you. Once you make the protagonist of your work the night, then you have so much to play with. You have so much more to go. You have so much more to say and do, as opposed to the protagonist being yourself or a lover or a tragedy. You know, like, to me, the night felt very freeing in this project, in this instance, and it is, because it's all those things.

David Fuerst (Host, WNYC) (6:34)

Was that your initial concept, that I want to write something about the night, or did you start to notice that it was just heading in that direction?

Arooj Aftab (Musician) (6:42)

It was just heading in that direction, yeah.

David Fuerst (Host, WNYC) (6:45)

Interesting. Well, I want to ask about the album cover as well, because it looks like this is maybe you at the beach. Yep. But this is no standard summer beach photo. Here you seem to be dressed in full evening wear. The water is rushing in on you right at the edge of the waves, and it seems to be the middle of the night.

Arooj Aftab (Musician) (7:02)

Yeah, it's late at night. And we did that shoot in Brazil at, like, at the water, and the photographer is actually in the water, and so the waves are coming in and the beach is behind me. So there was kind of. It was kind of exciting and dangerous a bit. But, yeah, I love. I love the COVID The photo is by Kate Sterling, and it's really beautifully. The COVID is done really well where, like, on the front you see the wave coming in, and then when you flip over, the back is a different photo where the wave has gone back out. And that's also really beautiful and really subtle. And, you know, we're catching the. We're catching the ocean at night, which, like you said, we don't really see, and it's not really photographed. And you can also see the passage of time that the wave came in and the wave went out. So there's a lot of little concepts in there that I love.

David Fuerst (Host, WNYC) (7:47)

You have to check out the photo because it really is a great photo. And I didn't really notice when I was first looking at it that, oh, that's water.

Arooj Aftab (Musician) (7:54)

Right.

David Fuerst (Host, WNYC) (7:56)

You're about to get hit by a wave. It looks like here.

Arooj Aftab (Musician) (7:58)

It was pretty fun. It was a crazy shoot because that did happen a few times we spoke.

David Fuerst (Host, WNYC) (8:03)

About the album cover, but there is a cover on this album. Your interpretation of the jazz standard Autumn Leaves. What is it about this song that made you want to tackle it?

Arooj Aftab (Musician) (8:14)

Autumn Leaves is, like, so funny because people are like, oh, no, not another Autumn Leaves cover. But then at the same time, I was like, people haven't been rendering Autumn Leaves for a while, except for if you're just starting out in school or something and they teach, you know. Autumn Leaves is one of those, like, first institutional kind of standard that you learn or whatever. But it's also beautiful and it has a great. It has a bit of a history with Nat King Cole, and I have loved it for a long time. And it fits with the theme, you know, of the. Of the album, I guess, Autumn and the leaves falling. It's not entirely nighttime, but getting there and the way that I rendered it felt like it should be on an album.

David Fuerst (Host, WNYC) (8:57)

Well, let's hear a little bit.

Arooj Aftab (Musician) (8:58)

Yeah.

David Fuerst (Host, WNYC) (8:58)

This is Autumn Leaves by Arooj Aftab from her new album, Night Rain.

McDonald's Employee / Singer (9:06)

The falling leaves Drift by my window oh, the falling leaves of red and gold I see your lips the summer kisses the sunburst hands I used to hold.

David Fuerst (Host, WNYC) (10:03)

Arouj, you talked about. Oh, no, not another autumn leaps Boy, that's the last feeling I have listening to this version of it.

Arooj Aftab (Musician) (10:11)

Yeah. Thank you. Thanks. It's turned out really special, especially with Linda playing bass on here. Linda Mahan O. And if you.

David Fuerst (Host, WNYC) (10:19)

Great percussion, too, to the later part.

Arooj Aftab (Musician) (10:22)

There'S a long solo by James Francis. The percussion is a sample that I put together. Yeah, it's pretty special.

David Fuerst (Host, WNYC) (10:29)

Really cool. You've lived in New York for a while. Brooklyn is your home. Of course, we know New York as the city that never sleeps. Right. So this seems to fit right in. What is it about New York at night, the city at night that is inspirational to you as an artist?

Arooj Aftab (Musician) (10:45)

You know, I think that New York is one of those very rare cities where everybody is just constantly on top of each other. You know, I know it's the lack of housing and space or whatever it is, but we are packed up in here and there is no. Like. There's just so much overlap of music, creativity, musicians. Even when you're having dinner, there's like another table less than a foot away from you. It's so communal. And because it's a big metropolitan city, so many different musicians come through. You know, you get to see so much art and music just by being here. And I think that has had a real effect on me. I think there are places like LA where, you know, it is diverse, but it's sexual. You know, you gotta drive to that area, you gotta drive to that. And there's different vibes going on. But New York is just, you know, quite essentially the cliche. Like, it's a melting pot. And that's why there's a lot of exchange of ideas and cultures and musics and there's also a healthy amount of competition and there's just this like restless energy that's keeping you put such a.

David Fuerst (Host, WNYC) (11:50)

Drive, you know, that restless energy I'm imagining. You're always doing cool things at night. Do you ever turn off and just have a lazy night at home?

Arooj Aftab (Musician) (11:58)

I do of late, yeah. Wherever I can get the moment. I am definitely resting because it's become really crazy lately.

David Fuerst (Host, WNYC) (12:05)

And you're about to head out on tour, right. You're gonna be going to Europe and then you're gonna be back in New York City for a summer stage show. Central Park. Summer stage in July.

Arooj Aftab (Musician) (12:13)

Yep. Yeah. Excited for that one.

David Fuerst (Host, WNYC) (12:16)

So a lot, a lot on your plate right now.

Arooj Aftab (Musician) (12:18)

Yeah.

David Fuerst (Host, WNYC) (12:19)

I wanna ask you, I wanna get some more music in before we run out of time. I have to ask about the song Whiskey. This sounds like a really personal song. One that you first starting writing in college, is that right?

Arooj Aftab (Musician) (12:31)

Yeah, yeah, that's true. Yeah. I wrote. I wrote the first couple of bars in college and then kind of let it go and it resurfaced because the song is so wonderful. It's about going out and maybe just having a little too much, maybe being a little nervous with the person that you're with, who you like, you both like each other and then the night just kind of slips out of your hands because maybe you drank too much or whatever, you know what I mean? It's a thing that happens to us all. It's happens so many times and we just don't write enough love songs about it. It's kind of like the other side story, which I love. I love the side stories. The side love stories. And this is one of them, you know. And then you're finding your way home and you're kind of tired and annoyed, but you still are having fun. It's just that middle zone, you know that. That we. That we experience so often but don't really talk about.

David Fuerst (Host, WNYC) (13:22)

Let's go to that zone right now. This is a little bit of whiskey.

McDonald's Employee / Singer (13:26)

Your head gets heavy and rests on my shoulder Cuz you drink too much whiskey when you're with me I think I'm ready to give in to your beauty and let you fall in love with me. I think I'm ready to give in to your beauty and let you fall in love with me.

David Fuerst (Host, WNYC) (14:28)

Let's talk about that line. That's such a great line. I think I'm ready to Give in to your beauty and let you fall.

Arooj Aftab (Musician) (14:35)

In love with me. It's pretty blamey, right? The lyrics, it's like your head gets heavy and you drink too much whiskey and I'm ready for you to fall in love with me. It's putting a lot of work on the other person. It's really unfair.

David Fuerst (Host, WNYC) (14:47)

You're gonna let that person.

Arooj Aftab (Musician) (14:48)

I'm gonna let you. You fall in love with me. Yeah, yeah. It's when you give in to someone, you're like, okay, yeah, fine. You know, you're holding back, you're not allowing it. But then you give in and then you become more open and free, and then you let them fall. Otherwise you're kind of disconnected. You kind of have your guard up. You're not letting someone fall in love with you.

David Fuerst (Host, WNYC) (15:13)

Lyrically, it's just such a great twist, though. Also, it's not at all what quite what I'm expecting you to say in that moment.

Arooj Aftab (Musician) (15:19)

Right.

David Fuerst (Host, WNYC) (15:21)

We just got a call from someone saying, please let me know when you're going to be at summer stage, because I really want to go. I will let you know right now. July 24th. Arooj Aftab playing Central Park Summer Stage on July 24th. I also want to talk about the song Last Night Reprise. This is a new version of a song that originally appeared on your previous album, right?

Arooj Aftab (Musician) (15:46)

Yes. Yeah.

David Fuerst (Host, WNYC) (15:47)

Why did you want to come back to it?

Arooj Aftab (Musician) (15:49)

I love that a song ties the next album with the previous one. I did it before as well with another song for my first record, tying it to Vulture Prince. And so it's just a little quirky thing that I do. But also, this version is so fun. And this is the version that we've been playing for the last two or three years on tour. We never played the reggae version that's on Vulture Prince just because we were like, why? What are we doing? But yeah, this last night. This last night version is really cool. And I also wanted there to be sort of like a. Like a. Like a bitches brew type moment between like three or four of the music. Miles Davis kind of like just everybody soloing at the same time, you know, and so that is all happening on last night. And how could we not have. Last night my Beloved was like the moon on an album about night. So it had to be there.

David Fuerst (Host, WNYC) (16:44)

It had to be there. So this song is based on a poem from a 13th century Persian writer, Is that correct?

Arooj Aftab (Musician) (16:51)

That's correct. Rumi, the famous Sufi poet. Yeah.

David Fuerst (Host, WNYC) (16:54)

How did you first engage with that work? How did that.

Arooj Aftab (Musician) (16:57)

I Had a book of his work that was specifically about music. Translations of it in English, and so I would just flip through it a lot, and then this is the one that I really liked.

David Fuerst (Host, WNYC) (17:10)

I think we should take a quick listen.

Arooj Aftab (Musician) (17:12)

Let's do it.

David Fuerst (Host, WNYC) (17:12)

This is the new version of Last Night.

McDonald's Employee / Singer (17:20)

Last night my beloved was like the moon Last night my beloved was like the moon Was like the moon.

David Fuerst (Host, WNYC) (18:09)

And we're just starting to feel everything start to build up here after that great bass line that opens things. Can you talk about the bass player again?

Arooj Aftab (Musician) (18:19)

The bass player is Petrus Klampanis. He is an incredible musician, and we've been playing music together for more than 10 years. Just like Maeve Gilchrist. Him and Maeve are my two main collaborators, and we arrange a lot of the stuff together, and we exchange a lot of ideas together. And this bass line, in fact, is his sort of evolution from the original Last Night.

David Fuerst (Host, WNYC) (18:44)

This is where it's kind of morphed.

Arooj Aftab (Musician) (18:46)

This is where it started. Yeah. The bass line is where we began. The new version.

David Fuerst (Host, WNYC) (18:51)

I see in the credits that you also enlisted Elvis Costello to join the band on this one. He's playing a Wurlitzer electric piano.

Arooj Aftab (Musician) (18:59)

Yeah. Elvis Costello is on this as well.

David Fuerst (Host, WNYC) (19:01)

How did that connection happen?

Arooj Aftab (Musician) (19:03)

He's just wonderful and amazing human being who loved my previous record and then would just write to me and then became my friend, which is a great honor. And he. I was like, hey, yeah, we're making the new record. Do you want to come to the studio? And he came through to listen because he's just so excited about what I do, and he's so supportive. And then I was like, well, do you want to play something? And he was like, well, I don't really have an instrument here or whatever, but I have some ideas. And we pulled out the Wurlitzer, and he sat down and he played, like, a little part throughout the thing. That sounds really cool, Even though it's, like, so minimal. It's a great Elvis idea in there.

David Fuerst (Host, WNYC) (19:46)

He found a way in.

Arooj Aftab (Musician) (19:47)

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

David Fuerst (Host, WNYC) (19:48)

Very cool. Gosh. I want to try to get some more music in here. I want to ask you about the song, and I hope I'm pronouncing it correctly. Raat ki Rani.

Arooj Aftab (Musician) (19:59)

Perfect. Yes.

David Fuerst (Host, WNYC) (19:59)

This is the name of a flower, and it translates to Queen of the Night. Do I have that right?

Arooj Aftab (Musician) (20:05)

That's absolutely right, yeah.

David Fuerst (Host, WNYC) (20:07)

I mean, that's a great title, too. Was that the original working title of this?

Arooj Aftab (Musician) (20:10)

That was the original working title, yes.

David Fuerst (Host, WNYC) (20:12)

Queen of the Night. Did that seem too Presumptuous for you.

Arooj Aftab (Musician) (20:15)

It really did. I was saying, who is the queen of the night? It certainly shouldn't be me. And so then it evolved into Night Rain. But yeah, this was the jumping point. This was the starting point.

David Fuerst (Host, WNYC) (20:28)

Let's hear a little bit of that one. Such magical music. And again, I hate coming out and talking on top of.

Arooj Aftab (Musician) (21:12)

It's okay.

David Fuerst (Host, WNYC) (21:13)

You're gonna have to get the whole album so you can hear the complete performances all the way through. It's really an incredible collection of music. And as we're wrapping up today, I wanted to mention again the new album, Night Rain. You're heading out on tour this summer first going to Europe, is that right? Playing Glastonbury. Do I have that?

Arooj Aftab (Musician) (21:33)

Playing Glastonbury, Yes, End of June.

David Fuerst (Host, WNYC) (21:36)

And then coming back and playing Central park Summer Stage on July 24th. Are you excited to be playing?

Arooj Aftab (Musician) (21:41)

So excited. I can't wait. Can't wait to play that. Big New York crowd, let's have some fun. Come on through.

David Fuerst (Host, WNYC) (21:48)

Big New York crowd, let's have some fun. Coming now. Thank you so much for joining today. Congratulations on the new album. I want to finish with a little more music. We've been speaking with Grammy award winning vocalist, musician, composer Arooj Aftab And a little more music. This is. And again, make sure I'm saying this right. Nagul.

Arooj Aftab (Musician) (22:08)

That's right.

David Fuerst (Host, WNYC) (22:09)

Thanks again for joining us.

Arooj Aftab (Musician) (22:10)

Thank you. Bye.

McDonald's Employee / Singer (22:37)

Sa.

David Fuerst (Host, WNYC) (23:10)

Arooj Aftab here on wnyc. If you have ever convinced yourself you had an incurable disease, we have more, all of it on the way. And we're gonna hear all about that based on a Google search. If you've ever convinced yourself of that, our next conversation is for you. We're gonna be talking about the history of hypochondria with author Caroline Crampton and taking your phone calls. That's coming up right after news headlines here on wnyc.

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Casual Speaker / Friend (24:17)

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David Fuerst (Host, WNYC) (24:19)

All right, unc.

McDonald's Employee / Singer (24:20)

Welcome to McDonald's. Can I take your order, miss?

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