EPK
The Last American is the debut Album from Brookyn based artist Ali Aslam. The songs explore questions of identity, belonging, and perspective--not just as independent concepts but as interrelated factors that inform our relationships to culture, each other, and ourselves. The tracks find their foundation in Aslam’s examination of his own identity as a Pakistani-American Muslim with a strong but complicated relationship to the mythology of American culture.
“Anyone with a background as hyphenated as mine--Muslim-American, Pakistani-American--will try and take ownership of that mythology, but also be fundamentally aware that our relationship to those things is qualified, somehow ‘other.’ It applies to my relationship with myself as well,” said Aslam. “I can love all of these things about myself, and still feel, or be made to feel, like I don’t have a right to. I think with this record, I'm asking if everybody feels this way.”
Aslam defines The Last American as a “supersonic folk” record. While the songs nod to American pop culture’s most recognizable sonic moments, he’s created a genre of his own, combining American folk, rock, and pop into a sound that supersedes traditional classification. The album, recorded in Brooklyn and Queens, traverses a wide territory in its twelve songs. At the heart, though, lies the formative expectations and experiences of the American Dream, in all its complexities, fulfillments, and shortcomings.
Genre:
Indie Rock / Folk
For Fans of:
The Killers, Phoebe Bridgers, Gang of Youths, The Gaslight Anthem, Radiohead, Father John Misty, Bruce Springsteen, U2
Single Release Dates:
“The Wise Man and the Fool” August 2020
“Photocopy” September 2020
“This American Dream” October 2020
Album Release Date:
Independent Release
October 2020
Press
PRESS IMAGES
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Artwork by Ali Aslam
“The Last American is an album perfect for these times; Ali Aslam is an artist perfectly of these times.”
“On ‘The Last American’, Pakistani-American songwriter Ali Aslam shares a nuanced perspective from both inside and outside the American Dream. Meticulously produced by E.W. Harris, the album is as sonically textured as the subject matter. “How’s it all going to be okay?”, asks Aslam on ‘The Wise Man and the Fool’, before concluding, “It’s all going to be okay.” We believe him both times. An excellent debut. ”
“Ali Aslam makes delightfully theatrical pop music, but don’t let his catchy tunes distract you from the depth of his lyrics. Working with broad themes of love, belonging, and identity, he’s a generous creative spirit with a powerhouse voice whose music invites listeners to explore connection and belonging. That makes his new album not just beautiful, but also something of a balm for these uncertain times.”
SINGLES
THE LAST AMERICAN LP
Contact
Ali Aslam
ali@streetlightshaman.com
973.922.0403
Dan Saulpaugh
dan@streetlightshaman.com