After nearly a decade with the Oxford comma-indifferent alt-rockers, guitarist and keyboard player Rostam Batmanglij has announced that he’s no longer a member of Vampire Weekend. Batmanglij made the announcement on Twitter, in a longer post where he affirmed his commitment to continue producing music—including, somewhat confusingly, with the band of which he’s now no longer a part.
The “Ezra” referenced in the post is frontman Ezra Koenig, who responded to the news on Instagram, with a message of warm regard for his long-time collaborator, alongside an unofficial announcement of the group’s new album, tentatively titled “Mitsubishi Macchiato.”
Batmanglij cited his desire for a separate musical identity as his major reason for leaving the group. (Also, we have to assume the Vampire-Batmanglij jokes are finally getting old.) He also took umbrage, though, with outlets reporting that he’s “quit” the band, even though that seems like a pretty reasonable conclusion to draw from someone saying “I’m no longer a member of Vampire Weekend.”