Matt Berninger: Last News

The National’s Matt Berninger has been speaking about the challenging period that led to the writing of the band’s new album ‘Laugh Track’.In a half-hour video posted on the band’s official YouTube channel, Berninger speaks to David Letterman about his struggles with depression and how a period during and following lockdown sparked the new album.You can watch the whole video below:In September, the band surprise-released their latest album ‘Laugh Track’, just a few months after also releasing April’s acclaimed ‘First Two Pages of Frankenstein’. The band announced ‘Laugh Track’ during a concert in Cincinnati and released the album three days later.Berninger explains in the video that it was the dissonance between maintaining a public persona and a stable private life that proved difficult.

The National have performed two songs off their new album ‘Laugh Track‘ on the opening episode of the latest season of Later… With Jools Holland over the weekend.‘Laugh Track’, which was a surprise release shared by The National last month and followed their April album ‘First Two Pages Of Frankenstein‘, is the indie rockers’ 10th album. ‘Space Invader’ was released as a single with ‘Alphabet City’ in August, while ‘Deep End (Paul’s In Pieces)’ is currently an album track.The band were joined by Jorja Smith, Say She She, Antony Szmierek and Wreckless Eric for the 63rd series premiere of the late night music show on BBC Two.Watch clips of the performances below.In other The National news, singer Matt Berninger has spoken to NME about the “different kind of spotlight” that has fallen on the band after working with Taylor Swift.The band have collaborated with Swift on a number of occasions, featuring on her track ‘Coney Island’ from 2020’s ‘Evermore‘ before she provided vocals and lyrics for ‘The Alcott’ on their 2023 album ‘First Two Pages Of Frankenstein‘.

The National‘s Matt Berninger has spoken to NME about the “different kind of spotlight” that has fallen on the band after working with Taylor Swift.The band have collaborated with Swift on a number of occasions – featuring on her track ‘Coney Island’ from 2020’s ‘Evermore‘ before she provided vocals and lyrics for ‘The Alcott’ on their 2023 album ‘First Two Pages Of Frankenstein‘. Guitarist Aaron Dessner has also produced Swift’s last three albums and ‘re-recorded’ records.“The Taylor thing was super organic,” Berninger told NME for this week’s In Conversation interview. “We’ve known her for a long time and obviously Aaron has been doing so much amazing stuff with her.

The National frontman Matt Berninger has revealed to NME details of a sitcom he’s been working with brother Tom, titled Dos Apes.The long-mooted project was first teased back in 2020, when the Matt Berninger told NME that he was working on a sequel acclaimed film Mistaken For Strangers, as well as a TV show. Released in 2013, Mistaken For Strangers followed Berninger’s brother Tom as he joined the band on the road and attempted to document their journey while also failing in his role as tour manager.

The National’s Matt Berninger has opened up about struggling with writer’s block.It comes after ‘Laugh Track’, the band’s surprise ninth album arrived in quick succession off the back of April’s acclaimed ‘First Two Pages of Frankenstein’. It was announced earlier this month (September 15) during a concert at their Homecoming Festival in Cincinnati, Ohio. The LP was released three days later on September 18.Speaking to The Independent, Berninger reflected on having writer’s block for some time, a process that he said would scare him.“I couldn’t even open a laptop,” he told the publication.

The National have released their surprise new album ‘Laugh Track‘. Check it out below.Announced at the weekend at the band’s own Homecoming Festival, the band’s ninth album comes in quick succession off the back of April’s acclaimed ‘First Two Pages of Frankenstein’.

William Earl The National’s headlining show at New York’s Madison Square Garden on Friday felt like the culmination of a 20-plus-year grassroots campaign of devotees growing the base one person at a time. After all, nothing about the Brooklyn-by-way-of-Ohio quintet is radio-friendly: Frontman Matt Berninger sings brooding tales about shattered relationships and the creep of death in a rich baritone, while brothers Aaron and Bryce Dessner play knotty guitar lines over the thumping rhythm section of bassist Scott and drummer Bryan Devendorf, also brothers.

The National have released two new singles, ‘Space Invader’ and ‘Alphabet City – listen to them below.The band announced the new releases on social media today (August 17) and shared the visualiser for ‘Alphabet City’.The new tracks come four months after the release of their ninth studio album ‘First Two Pages Of Frankenstein’, which NME said in a five-star review was “their best record in a decade“.“Sometimes I wanna drive around and find you / And act like it’s a random thing,” frontman Matt Berninger sings on the ruminative ‘Alphabet City’ atop poignant instrumentals that gradually build in intensity. “I always wonder if you ever feel / Like I blew all chances of this happening.”A post shared by The National (@thenational)‘Space Invader’, meanwhile, is a sprawling seven-minute reflection on all the ‘what ifs?’ that swells to a climactic instrumental crescendo.

William Earl The National have long been one of indie rock’s most revered bands, and like many of their past albums, the songs from their recently released ninth outing, “First Two Pages of Frankenstein,” take on a life of their own onstage. The band — frontman Matt Berninger, guitarist brothers Aaron and Bryce Dessner, and bassist Scott Devendorf and drummer Bryan Devendorf, also brothers — are known for their intense live shows and are currently in the middle of a North American tour, and of course have received a wave of new fans thanks to their recent collaborations with Taylor Swift.

The National, and claimed that he wishes he “could be Matt Berninger”.He made the comments in a new YouTube video this week (May 3), which saw him share his views on the 2023 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame class with longtime colleagues Barbara Gaines and Mary Barclay.While sharing his thoughts on this year’s inductees — which include George Michael, Rage Against The Machine and Kate Bush — Letterman also expressed his “disappointment” at singer-songwriter Warren Zevon being snubbed.It was here that the conversation shifted to the former television host’s fondness for Matt Berninger-fronted band, The National. “Oh, I love the National,” he explained, going on to label them as “your saddest friend’s favourite band.”He also expressed his admiration for one of their songs, which wasn’t featured on their latest LP, ‘First Two Pages Of Frankenstein’: “They had this song called ‘Weird Goodbyes,’ which is not on the new album,” he said, going on to recite some of the song’s lyrics.

The National have shared their ninth studio LP, First Two Pages of Frankenstein. At the center of the 11-track project is a cut featuring twin band members Aaron and Bryce Dessner’s frequent collaborator, Taylor Swift.

The perfect partnership. Taylor Swift teamed up with The National on their latest album — and fans are already dissecting the heartbreaking duet following her split from Joe Alwyn.

The National have shared a lyric video for their new song with Taylor Swift, ‘The Alcott’.READ MORE: The National on pulling back from the brink: “It’s felt fragile before, but this time was different”The single is taken from their newly-debuted album, ‘First Two Pages Of Frankenstein’, which was released today (April 28), and sees the indie five-piece team up with pop icon Taylor Swift.Now, the band have shared an official lyric video for the emotional track, which also features in-studio footage of the band and Swift. Check it out below.Ahead of the release of their ninth studio album, The National spoke to NME about the inspiration behind the LP, and their long-running relationship with the ‘Anti-Hero’ singer — which first formed over a decade ago.According to the members, Aaron Dessner sent Swift the song shortly after it was written, and she responded within half an hour, making it into the track it is today.

There’s new Taylor Swift music out now!

The National‘s Aaron Dessner has praised Taylor Swift‘s ‘Eras Tour’, calling it “the greatest show I’ve ever seen”.Dessner co-wrote and co-produced Swift’s surprise 2020 albums ‘Folklore’ and ‘Evermore’ alongside Jack Antonoff. He went on to work with the singer on the 2021 re-recorded versions of ‘Fearless’ and ‘Red’.Earlier this month, Dessner joined Swift onstage in Tampa, Florida to perform collaborative renditions of ‘The Great War’ (a track he produced for the ‘3am Edition’ of ‘Midnights’) and ‘Mad Woman’ from ‘Folklore’.During a new interview with NME, Dessner opened up about reuniting with Swift on The National’s ninth studio album ‘First Two Pages Of Frankenstein’, which is released this Friday (April 28).The pop star will feature on ‘The Alcott’, a song NME‘s Thomas Smith described as a “subtle duet” and “a back-and-forth conversation between frontman [Matt] Berninger and [Swift]”.After praising the singer’s work ethic and creative process, Dessner spoke about her current ‘Eras Tour’ in North America.“It’s just kind of… the greatest show I’ve ever seen,” the musician told NME.

Taylor Swift’s songs were originally intended to be released by The National.The news was revealed by The National’s own Aaron Dessner and Matt Berninger in a new interview yesterday (April 20). According to the members, the Taylor Swift songs ‘Willow’ and ‘Cardigan’ were handed over to the pop star after they struggled to make them come together.The first track, ‘Willow’, was released on Swift’s ninth studio album, ‘Evermore’, whereas the second, ‘Cardigan’ was released on 2020 LP, ‘Folklore’.“I’d taken a swing at [‘Cardigan’] and ‘Willow’ and a couple of others, and I wasn’t having a lot of luck, so Aaron sent them to Taylor,” Berninger recalled to The Telegraph.He also explained that the opposite has happened in the past, where the band have released tracks that were initially intended for Swift.

Phoebe Bridgers has spoken out on her love for The National – as well as her collaboration on their upcoming album, ‘First Two Pages Of Frankenstein’.Bridgers had previously joined The National on stage numerous times in 2019 to perform songs from their previous album ‘I Am Easy To Find‘, with the singer-songwriter and Boygenius member also collaborating with frontman Matt Berninger on the single ‘Walking On A String’ ahead of his 2020 debut solo album ‘Serpentine Prison‘.As part of an exclusive cover interview with The National and their collaborators for the latest issue of Uncut, Bridgers discussed her admiration for the indie veterans.“My friends and I have this joke about The National,” started Bridgers. “Obviously they’re hugely popular, but we still feel this ownership over them.”Adopting a ‘stroppy and possessive’ tone, she mimicked an argument with her friends,”‘No but you don’t like them in the right way! Do you even understand how profound this band is?'” before adding: “Because they are profoundly fucking amazing.”On the band’s new album ‘First Two Pages Of Frankenstein’, Bridgers features on two tracks – the new single ‘Your Mind Is Not Your Friend’ and ‘This Isn’t Helping’.

The National have shared a new single featuring Phoebe Bridgers – listen to ‘Your Mind Is Not Your Friend’ below.The melancholic piano-led song serves as the fourth and final preview of the band’s ninth album ‘First Two Pages Of Frankenstein’, which is due for release on April 28 (pre-order here).“Don’t you understand?/ Your mind is not your friend again/ It takes you by the hand/ And leaves you nowhere,” frontman Matt Berninger croons as Bridgers delivers a haunting backing vocal in unison.Per a press release, the single “confronts the entanglements of the habitual mind and the overwhelming nature of scrutiny”, and emerged during a period of writer’s block for Berninger.‘Your Mind Is Not Your Friend’ is accompanied by a nostalgic official video, which was directed by Bridgers’ brother Jackson. Filmed in Los Angeles, the clip stars Berninger’s brother Tom – tune in above.Recently, Matt Berninger opened up about how the single’s title and lyrics had been inspired by the advice his wife Carin Besser had given him as he battled depression.

The National frontman Matt Berninger has spoken candidly about his battle with depression and writer’s block, and how he documented it on the band’s upcoming album, ‘First Pages Of Frankenstein’.Berninger was speaking in an exclusive cover interview for the latest issue of Uncut, where he revealed how the COVID period after The National’s last record ‘I Am Easy To Find‘ [2019] and his 2020 debut solo album ‘Serpentine Prison‘ saw him facing “burnout” and a depression he likened to “the train going off the tracks”. He explained said he found himself unable to write lyrics for a whole year.“Usually when I’m in a troubled place, I can make something out of it, and write a song about it, and that does a lot to solve it,” he said. “This time, I didn’t want to.

The National have shared a melancholy new song, ‘Eucalyptus’ – check it out below.The track’s release was announced yesterday and marks the third taster the band have shared, after ‘New Order T-Shirt’ and ‘Tropic Morning News’, to be taken from the band’s upcoming album ‘First Two Pages Of Frankenstein’. The album is scheduled to drop on April 28 via 4AD and will feature collaborations with Taylor Swift, Phoebe Bridgers and Sufjan Stevens. Per a press release, Bryce Dessner sent the song to Matt Berninger a long time ago, which he later added lyrics to after remembering the song.

The National took to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to perform their new single ‘Tropic Morning News’ late last night (March 3) – check out the footage below.Earlier this year, The National confirmed details of their ninth studio album ‘First Two Pages Of Frankenstein’.Set for release April 28, the album will feature collaborations with Taylor Swift, Phoebe Bridgers and Sufjan Stevens.Alongside the album announce, the band also shared lead single ‘Tropic Morning News’ which they performed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon last night. Check it out below:Co-written with frontman Matt Berninger’s wife Carin Besser, the track takes its title from a phrase Besser invented to describe the regrettably routine practice of doomscrolling.“The idea of referring to the darkness of the news in such a light way unlocked something in me,” said Berninger.