Matt Berninger: Last News

APPOINTMENTSMusic publisher Minds On Fire has appointed Tom Currie to the position of A&R Manager. Currie has a background in live events and promotions, and was most recently Head Of DJ Promotions at PR company Your Army. “Having promoted many successful acts during my career to date I now want to work with [Minds On Fire] to help discover amazing new talent and to assist with the development of our existing writers”.————————————————–RELEASESDutch Uncles have released new single ‘In Salvia’, featuring Metronomy’s Anna Prior, ahead of the release of their new album ‘True Entertainment’ next week.Warmduscher have released new single ‘Love Strong’.

Bon Iver‘s Justin Vernon is launching his own monthly radio show – Song Chest Radio Hour will share its first edition this weekend.The first edition of Song Chest Radio Hour will air on the station on Sunday night (September 4) at 5pm CT (11pm BST), and will be available to listen to via Radio Milwaukee’s website and app.In a statement on the band’s Twitter account, the show – which will air on Radio Milwaukee – promises “to try and spread some love, joy, and acceptance through playing some songs you love and enjoy”.Find out all the details on Song Chest Radio Hour below.Tune in for the first episode this Sun 9/4/22 @ 5pm CT on @RadioMilwaukee; listen live or stream via the station’s app/website https://t.co/bpf5NMdiNa. Archived recordings available on MixCloud.

The National played a surprise, secret acoustic set at Edinburgh’s Connect Festival in memory of Frightened Rabbit‘s Scott Hutchison – see footage below.Yesterday (August 28) festival-goers were alerted to the message, “Secret set added – 7.45pm at the Tiny Changes x Gardeners Cottage”, and soon discovered that The National’s Matt Berninger, Aaron Dessner and Bryce Dessner were performing at the Scottish festival’s new stage to pay tribute to their late friend.The band, who were headlining the festival, played ‘Sorrow’ and ‘About Today’, telling the crowd for the latter track, “Whenever we play this one we think of Scott,” and singing the words, “Today…You were far away…and I… Didn’t ask you why“.The Tiny Changes x Gardeners Cottage was set up at the festival in association with Tiny Changes, the charity for supporting young people’s mental health that was set up in memory of Hutchison who died by suicide in 2018.It’s Scotland’s first national children and young people’s mental health charity and raised more than £4,500 during the course of the festival weekend.Scott performed at the original Connect Festival in 2006 on a similar stage.Aaron Dessner of The National said: “Thank you so much, it’s a pleasure to support Tiny Changes. Scott was a really close friend of ours, and like you guys, we were huge fans of Frightened Rabbit.“We were devastated when he left.

The National returned to London last night (August 26) to headline All Points East 2022 – watch them perform new single ‘Weird Goodbyes’ with Fleet Foxes‘ Robin Pecknold below.‘Weird Goodbyes’ was released last week and features Bon Iver‘s Justin Vernon on vocals. While introducing Pecknold, The National’s Aaron Dessner said that their friend and collaborator had never sung the song before.Elsewhere in the set, The National played another new song – ‘Tropic Morning News (Haversham)’ – and hits from across their back catalogue.Watch them play ‘Weird Goodbyes’ with Robin Pecknold and see the full setlist below.The National have been performing ‘Weird Goodbyes’ live since late May. They played it for the first time in Pamplona, Spain on May 28 – the first National show in three years – where it was billed on the setlist as ‘Bathwater (Mount Auburn)’.Speaking in a statement about ‘Weird Goodbyes’, The National’s Matt Berninger said: “It’s about letting go of the past and moving on, then later being overwhelmed by second thoughts.”On the process of making the single, the band’s Aaron Dessner added: “‘Weird Goodbyes’ was one of the first new songs we made.

The National will return to London on Friday (August 26) to headline All Points East 2022 – check out the full stage and performance times below.It will mark the band’s first show in the city since 2019, where they will be joined by a stellar cast of support acts including Mogwai, Fleet Foxes, Lucy Dacus, Kurt Vile and more.Across seven stages, the day also sees performances from Parcels, Tune-Yards, Perfume Genius and Rae Morris.The performance comes just a few days after The National unveiled their new single ‘Weird Goodbyes’, which features Bon Iver.Speaking in a statement about ‘Weird Goodbyes’, The National’s Matt Berninger said: “It’s about letting go of the past and moving on, then later being overwhelmed by second thoughts.”See the full stage times for The National at All Points East below, and buy your tickets here.Fleet Foxes: 8:00pm – 9:15pm Perfume Genius: 6:20pm – 7:00pm Lucy Dacus: 5:10pm – 5:50pm Valerie June: 4:00pm – 4:40pm Cassandra Jenkins: 3:00pm – 3:30pmNathan Fake: 5:45pm – 6:45pm Plaid: 4:30pm – 5:45pm Afrodeutsche: 3:15pm – 4:30pm Tasha: 2:00pm – 3:15pmParcels: 7:55pm – 8:55pm Public Service Broadcasting: 6:25pm – 7:25pm Balthazar: 5:15pm – 5:55pm DEHD: 4:10pm – 4:45pm Bess Atwell: 3:05 – 3:40pmMoa Moa: 8:10pm – 8:40pm Lewis Ofman: 6:30pm – 7:00pm Jana: 5:15pm – 5:45pm Mid Nite Life: 4:05pm – 4:35pmDWEAMS: 7:30pm – 8:00pm Phoebe Hall: 5:55pm – 6:25pm Honey Mooncie: 4:45pm – 5:15pm The Deep Blue: 3:40pm – 4:05pmRaw Silk: 7:00pm – 8:00pm Demae: 5:50pm – 6:20pm Lynda Dawn: 4:40pm – 5:10pm Lavender: 2:30pm – 3:00pm and 3:30pm – 4:00pmAll Points East 2022 began last weekend (August 19) with Gorillaz supported by IDLES, Turnstile, Yves Tumor, Self Esteem, Femi Kuti, Obongjayar, NewDad, Remi

The National have today (August 22) released their emotive new single ‘Weird Goodbyes’, which features Bon Iver – you can listen to the song below.The track has been teased for some time, with the two artists finally confirming their collaboration last week.Speaking in a statement about ‘Weird Goodbyes’, The National’s Matt Berninger said: “It’s about letting go of the past and moving on, then later being overwhelmed by second thoughts.”On the process of making the single, the band’s Aaron Dessner added: “‘Weird Goodbyes’ was one of the first new songs we made. I was misusing drum machines, as usual, and stumbled onto this beat that got stuck in my head – it felt like something only Bryan could naturally play.

The National appear to be on the precipice of a new single release, as posters for a song titled ‘Weird Goodbyes’ (featuring Bon Iver) have begun to circulate.The band have been performing ‘Weird Goodbyes’ live, sans the guest spot from Bon Iver – which, presumably, will comprise some of its lyrics being sung by Justin Vernon – since late May. They played it for the first time in Pamplona, Spain on May 28 – the first National show to go down in three years – where it was billed on the setlist as ‘Bathwater (Mount Auburn)’. It’s been performed at seven show since, including this week’s headliner in Dillon, Colorado and at the Outlandia festival on Friday (August 12).

The National performed three new songs at their gig in Paris on Monday (May 30) – scroll down the page to watch fan-shot footage now.The tracks were previously given their live debuts at the tour-opening show in Pamplona, Spain on Saturday (May 28).During the first of two dates at Paris’ Salle Pleyel venue, The National once again aired ‘Tropic Morning News (Haversham)’, ‘Grease In Your Hair (Birdie)’, and ‘Bathwater (Mount Auburn)’. The first song elements of The Cure in its vocal melodies, with frontman Matt Berninger’s voice accompanied by a propulsive beat and bright guitar lines.“I was suffering more than I let on,” Berninger sings in the chorus.

The National have announced a special show in Manchester for this summer – tickets will be available from here.The band last performed in the UK as part of their ‘I Am Easy To Find’ tour in December 2019, and are set to return with appearances at All Points East in London and Connect Festival in Edinburgh this August.Last week, they confirmed a run of 2022 North American headline dates. “The last couple years have given us ample time for reflection and rejuvenation,” they wrote to announce the concerts.

The National‘s Bryce Dessner has said that the band’s upcoming new album harks back to their “classic” sound, as well as having a “lot of energy in it”.The guitarist and composer was speaking to The Up Coming about his and the band’s work on the music for the new Peter Dinklage-starring movie adaptation of Cyrano when he was asked when new material would arrive from The National.Admitting that he “wasn’t sure when new music will come”, Dessner did insist that they were “working on it” and it should be “imminent at some point” ahead of the band’s packed summer of festivals and live dates – as well as revealing that it would take a much more stripped-back approach than the lush predecessor of 2019’s ‘I Am Easy To Find‘.“It’s all very exciting: it kind of feels back to the classic National sound in a way, which was really just the five of us, and it has a lot of energy in it,” said Dessner. “Maybe it’s like bursting out of the closed doors of COVID or something? I don’t know.

Joe Wright’s Cyrano twirls onto 797 screens, the highest-profile specialty release in weeks (as the market awaits Focus Features The Outfit with Mark Rylance and Sony Pictures Classics Mothering Sunday). But the well reviewed period musical romance from UAR starring Peter Dinklage is landing in a tough place. Industry estimates anticipate a low single digit opening given the inconsistent reception for movie musicals and the fact that its key older demos, especially women, have been the slowest to return to theaters.

Caroline Spence has teamed up with The National’s Matt Berninger for her latest single.‘I Know You Know Me’ is the follow-up to Spence’s 2019 release, ‘Mint Condition’ and will be included on her yet to be named fifth studio album which is slated for release this year.The slow-burning track opens with acoustic guitar before Spence and Berninger exchange loving sentiments over lush instrumentation, duetting, “No matter where the storm is in my mind/ It’ll never be a place that you can’t find/ You hold the candle, oh, you hold the key/ I know you know me“. “I’m still beside myself that Matt agreed to be a part of this song,” Spence said. “I recorded my own solo version for my upcoming record, but always saw potential for it as a duet.

Fucked Up have shared the sprawling new video for ‘Year Of The Horse’, as the band also celebrate the 10th anniversary reissue of ‘David Comes To Life’. Check out the video below, along with our interview with frontman Damian Abraham.‘Year Of The Horse’ is the latest in the band’s Zodiac series of albums, released periodically to coincide with the Chinese new year.

The National have added their entire catalogue to Bandcamp to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their self-titled debut album.“Today we take a moment to recognize the 20th Anniversary of our self-titled debut album,” the band wrote in an Instagram post last night (October 29).

The National’s Aaron and Bryce Dessner were working on a musical version of the 1897 play Cyrano de Bergerac, with lyrics from the band’s frontman Matt Berninger and his wife Carin Besser.Later that year, the play – titled Cyrano and starring Game of Thrones’ Peter Dinklage in the title role – enjoyed a short run at the historic Goodspeed Opera House’s Terris Theatre in Connecticut, before heading off-Broadway in New York City the following year.Studio MGM then acquired the rights to the film, which is directed by Joe Wright from a script written by Dinklage’s wife Erica Schmidt, and stars Haley Bennett opposite Dinklage as Roxanne.

The National‘s Aaron and Bryce Dessner have announced details of their soundtrack for the upcoming film adaptation of musical Cyrano.It was announced last year that MGM had acquired the rights to the film, which will be directed by Joe Wright and see Peter Dinklage reprising his role as Cyrano De Bergerac from the 2018 musical that played at the historic Goodspeed Opera House’s Terris Theatre.The Cyrano OST will be released via Decca Records in vinyl and CD formats on December 10, with the film coming to UK cinemas in January.The music has been written and composed by the Dessner twins, while National frontman Matt Berninger and his wife Carin Besser have written lyrics for the score, which will be performed by Dinklage and more.A new song

Phoebe Bridgers has shared her annual festive cover version – listen to her new recording of Merle Haggard’s ‘If We Make It Through December’ below.All proceeds from the new version will go to the Downtown Women’s Center, which helps support homeless women in Los Angeles.Last year, Bridgers’ holiday season cover saw her share a version of Simon & Garfunkel track ‘7 O’Clock News/ Silent Night’ with Fiona Apple and The National‘s Matt Berninger, while in 2018 she collaborated with Jackson Browne on a cover of McCarthy Trenching’s ‘Christmas Song’.Listen to the new version of 1974 track ‘If We Make It Through December’ below.The new cover follows Bridgers releasing her new EP ‘Copycat Killer’ last week (November 20).

The Vamps claim the highest new entry on this week’s Official Irish Albums Chart as their fifth album Cherry Blossom scores a Top 10 debut at Number 9.

Matt Berninger told NME about his process. “Most of my songs are love songs to myself or that champion me.

The National frontman Matt Berninger has discussed recording songs for Game Of Thrones, saying he’s “fucking pissed” that he and his bandmates didn’t get a cameo in the HBO show.Back in 2013, the band recorded a version of classic Game Of Thrones song ‘The Rains Of Castamere’, and also wrote ‘Turn On Me’ for an album featuring music inspired by the show.“Alec Bemis, who was Bryce [Dessner, National guitarist]’s friend in school, is also really close friends with Dan Weiss, who was one of the creators of Game Of Thrones, and Dan Weiss has been a huge fan of the National, I think, from literally the first record,” Berninger told Stereogum in a new interview, going on to reveal that “The National’s been to the top of the Wall.”He continued:

Matt Berninger has shared his latest solo track — you can listen to ‘One More Second’ below.The National frontman is currently readying the release of his debut solo album ‘Serpentine Prison’, which is set for release via Book’s Records in conjunction with Concord Records on October 16.‘One More Second’ is the third preview of the record, following on from the singles ‘Distant Axis’ and ‘Serpentine Prison’.