Vampire Weekend

Band

Photo: Raph_PH · CC BY 2.0
Active 2006-present
Origin New York City, New York
Albums 5
Tracks 61
Most frequent collaborator Ariel Rechtshaid · 39 tracks
Genres Indie RockIndie PopArt Pop
Complete Artist
100%
Authorship

Holds writing credit on 61 of 61 tracks

Who writes Vampire Weekend's songs?

Ezra Koenig writes the lyrics, on 60 of the 61 album tracks. The music credit changes: all four members on the first two albums, Koenig and Rostam Batmanglij on the third, and mostly Koenig alone since Batmanglij left in 2016.

By the Numbers

5
Studio Albums
61
Tracks Credited
100%
Self-Written
20
Years Active
28
Collaborators

Authorship Breakdown 61 / 61 self-written

Who wrote the songs?

Across all 61 tracks: how many Vampire Weekend wrote alone, how many they co-wrote, and how many were written by others. The bracket marks every track they hold any writing credit on.

Vampire Weekend has a writing credit100%
75%
25%
Sole author46tracks75%
Co-written15tracks25%
Outside writers0tracks0%

Role Fingerprint how they contribute

Lyricist Performer Composer Producer
Vampire Weekend's roles across the catalogue

Share of all 61 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.

Lyricist (words)100%
Composer (music)100%
Producer98%
Performer100%

Member Credit Breakdown share of tracks each member is credited on

Percentage of all 61 tracks, across every album, where each member holds a credit - split by role.

MemberPeriodLyricsMusicProductionPerformance
Ezra Koenig 2006-present
98%
97%
43%
100%
Chris Baio 2006-present
0%
30%
0%
100%
Chris Tomson 2006-present
2%
33%
16%
100%
Rostam Batmanglij Former 2006-2016
15%
57%
74%
100%

Authorship Over Time writing credit per album

Vampire Weekend's writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.

avg 100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
2008Vampire Weekend
2010Contra
2013Modern Vampires of the City
2019Father of the Bride
2024Only God Was Above Us
Early · 100% written
Late · 100% written

Authorship by Decade track-weighted

100%
2000s
Vampire Weekend
100%
2010s
Contra, Modern Vampires of the City +1 more
100%
2020s
Only God Was Above Us

Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author

Where Vampire Weekend sits on the scale from a pure performer (0%, sings songs written by others) to a complete author (100%, writes everything). The bright marker is their catalogue authorship score, plotted against other artists on the site.

Vampire Weekend
Other artists on the site

Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.

EXO8%
The Pussycat Dolls21%
Josh Groban29%
Carrie Underwood43%
One Direction57%
Kesha77%
Miley Cyrus92%
100%Vampire Weekend
Pure Performer0%
Songwriter~50%
Complete Author100%

Who Really Wrote the Hits signature songs

A-Punk
Vampire Weekend
Written by Ezra Koenig, Rostam Batmanglij, Chris Baio, Christopher Tomson
Wrote it
Oxford Comma
Vampire Weekend
Written by Ezra Koenig, Rostam Batmanglij, Chris Baio, Christopher Tomson
Wrote it
Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa
Vampire Weekend
Written by Ezra Koenig, Rostam Batmanglij, Chris Baio, Christopher Tomson
Wrote it
Cousins
Contra
Written by Ezra Koenig, Chris Baio, Rostam Batmanglij, Christopher Tomson
Wrote it
White Sky
Contra
Written by Ezra Koenig, Chris Baio, Rostam Batmanglij, Christopher Tomson
Wrote it
Holiday
Contra
Written by Ezra Koenig, Chris Baio, Rostam Batmanglij, Christopher Tomson
Wrote it
Diane Young
Modern Vampires of the City
Written by Ezra Koenig, Rostam Batmanglij
Wrote it

Discography 5 albums

All five studio albums. The EPs, the remix records and the Ezra Koenig solo work sit outside this catalogue.

Collaborator Network who they worked with most

Vampire Weekend61 tracks
39Ariel Rechtshaid, 39 tracks DH3Danielle Haim, 3 tracks B3BloodPop, 3 tracks BR3Buddy Ross, 3 tracks C2Chromeo, 2 tracks DD2DJ Dahi, 2 tracks SL2Steve Lacy, 2 tracks SG2Sam Gendel, 2 tracks MS1Mighty Sparrow, 1 track SF1Slinger Francisco, 1 track DG1David Gates, 1 track HZ1Hans Zimmer, 1 track I1iLoveMakonnen, 1 track MR1Mark Ronson, 1 track MS1Makonnen Sheran, 1 track D1Dynasty, 1 track L1Lakeside, 1 track LS1Leon Sylvers III, 1 track WS1William Shelby, 1 track SS1Stephen Shockley, 1 track LF1Leon F. Silvers III, 1 track SE1S. E. Rogie, 1 track LG1Ludwig Göransson, 1 track HH1Haruomi Hosono, 1 track NH1Nellee Hooper, 1 track SL1Simon Law, 1 track BR1Beresford Romeo, 1 track CW1Caron Wheeler, 1 track

Bubble size = tracks worked on together. DH Danielle Haim · B BloodPop · BR Buddy Ross · C Chromeo · DD DJ Dahi

Photo credits

Portraits in the web and the rail come from Wikimedia Commons. The artist's own photo carries its credit under the picture.

The Authorship Story

Data Insight

The lyric line barely moves: Koenig on everything, with the calypso singer Mighty Sparrow added to one track the band borrow from. The music line moves constantly. The debut credits all four members on ten of eleven tracks, Contra credits four on eight, and Modern Vampires of the City drops to Rostam Batmanglij and Koenig alone on all twelve. Batmanglij leaves in 2016 and takes the whole rhythm section's credit with him: Father of the Bride gives Koenig all eighteen tracks with Ariel Rechtshaid on two, and Only God Was Above Us in 2024 credits Chris Baio on none and Chris Tomson on one. Batmanglij still ends up on 35 music credits, second only to Koenig.

Quick Facts

  • Ezra Koenig60 of the 61 lyrics, 59 of the music credits
  • Rostam Batmanglij35 music credits before leaving in 2016
  • The rhythm sectionTomson 20 credits, Baio 18, almost all pre-2013
  • Studio albumsFive, from 2008 to 2024
  • GrammysBest Alternative Music Album twice
  • Biggest albumModern Vampires of the City, 505,000 copies in the US

Creative Fingerprint

One lyricist throughout, and a music credit that shrinks from the whole band to the singer alone once his co-writer leaves.

The Story

Ezra Koenig is credited on 60 of Vampire Weekend's 61 album tracks. The music started as a four-way band credit and ended up mostly his.

Awards & Recognition

Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album for Modern Vampires of the City, 2014
Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album for Father of the Bride, 2020

Frequently Asked Questions Vampire Weekend

Who writes Vampire Weekend's songs?
Ezra Koenig writes the lyrics, on 60 of the 61 album tracks. The music credit changes: all four members on the first two albums, Koenig and Rostam Batmanglij on the third, and mostly Koenig alone since Batmanglij left in 2016.
Who wrote "A-Punk"?
Ezra Koenig wrote the lyrics and the four-piece band the music: Koenig, Rostam Batmanglij, Chris Baio and Chris Tomson.
How many albums have Vampire Weekend released?
Five studio albums, from Vampire Weekend in 2008 to Only God Was Above Us in 2024.
What changed when Rostam Batmanglij left?
The music credit narrowed to Ezra Koenig. Batmanglij has 35 music credits, all but one from the first three albums, and Father of the Bride in 2019 credits Koenig on all eighteen tracks.
Have Vampire Weekend won a Grammy?
Yes, twice, both for Best Alternative Music Album: Modern Vampires of the City and Father of the Bride.
Which album sold the most?
Modern Vampires of the City. By December 2014, the album had sold 505,000 copies in the US.
Who is Mighty Sparrow?
The calypso singer credited alongside Koenig on "One (Blake's Got a New Face)" on the debut, the only outside lyric credit in the catalogue.
Who is in the band now?
Ezra Koenig, Chris Baio and Chris Tomson. Rostam Batmanglij left in 2016 but still appears on one track of the 2024 album.
Who produced their albums?
Rostam Batmanglij produced the first three, with Ariel Rechtshaid joining on Modern Vampires of the City and staying for Father of the Bride. Only God Was Above Us was mixed by Dave Fridmann.
Do the other members write?
They did. Chris Tomson has 20 music credits and Chris Baio 18, nearly all of them on the first two albums, and neither is on more than one track after 2013.

Sources

Wikipedia: Vampire Weekend Wikipedia: Vampire Weekend discography