The National

The National are an American indie rock group formed in Brooklyn, New York in 1999 by friends from Cincinnati, Ohio. The band is active from 1999 to the present and is based in Brooklyn, United States. Their line-up consists of Matt Berninger, Aaron Dessner, Bryce Dessner, Scott Devendorf and Bryan Devendorf. They release music on Cherry Tree, Beggars Banquet and 4AD, and their sound is described across alternative rock, americana, chamber pop, indie rock, post-punk revival and rock.

Formation and early recordings

Matt Berninger writes and sings the band’s lyrics in a deep baritone. The group centres on two sets of brothers: Aaron Dessner plays guitar, bass and keyboards; Bryce Dessner plays guitar; Scott Devendorf plays bass and guitar; and Bryan Devendorf plays drums. Their self-titled debut album is recorded and released on Brassland in 2001 before the band has played a live show. They record it with engineer Nick Lloyd and form a label with writer Alec Bemis so the sessions can be issued. Kerrang! awards the album four Ks and describes it as the kind of record that underground legends are made of.

Developing their sound

The second album, Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers, appears in 2003 on Brassland and Talitres. The same core lineup works on it, with Peter Katis helping to produce and mix after his work with Interpol, and Australian composer Padma Newsome from Clogs contributing arrangements and strings. An interim EP, Cherry Tree, follows sessions for Bernard Lenoir on France’s Radio Inter and includes material that points towards the band’s next record, including a session version of “Murder Me Rachael”. After these releases and strong live shows, Roger Trust signs the band to Beggars Banquet.

Alligator and Boxer

Alligator includes much material recorded at the band’s homes in Ditmas Park, Brooklyn, with Paul Mahajan engineering and Peter Katis adding further production and mixing from his studio in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Padma Newsome spends a month with the band during the sessions. The album features the singles “Abel”, “Secret Meeting” and “Lit Up”. Its lyrics, led by Berninger’s baritone, focus on record collections, missing persons and uneasy, humorous emotions, while the music combines dense and spare textures.

The follow-up, Boxer, is released in 2007 on Beggars Banquet. The band records it in six months after extensive touring, and Sufjan Stevens contributes piano parts. “Mistaken for Strangers”, “Fake Empire” and “Apartment Story” are released as singles. Paste names the album best record of 2007.

Later albums

High Violet is released in 2010 on 4AD Records and includes the singles “Bloodbuzz Ohio”, “Anyone’s Ghost” and “Terrible Love”. In 2013 the band releases Trouble Will Find Me, which Pitchfork names “Best New Music”; the album includes “I Need My Girl”. In 2015 the outtake “Sunshine On My Back” is released. Four years later, the band releases Sleep Well Beast, its seventh studio album, and receives strong critical response.

Online presence

The National also maintain a website, a blog, and official accounts on Twitter and Instagram.