The National | |
|---|---|
_(52163773566).jpg) The National performing atPrimavera Sound in 2022 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Cincinnati,Ohio, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1999–present |
| Labels | |
| Members | |
| Website | americanmary.com |
The National is an Americanrock band fromCincinnati,Ohio, formed inBrooklyn,New York City, in 1999.[1] The band consists ofMatt Berninger (vocals), twin brothersAaron Dessner (guitar, piano, keyboards) andBryce Dessner (guitar, piano, keyboards), as well as brothersScott Devendorf (bass) andBryan Devendorf (drums). During live performances the band is joined by longtime touring members Ben Lanz (trombone, synthesizers) and Kyle Resnick (trumpet, keyboards, backing vocals). Berninger's wife, Carin Besser, has written lyrics for the band alongside her husband since its 2007 albumBoxer.[2][3][4]
Founded by Matt Berninger, Aaron Dessner, Scott Devendorf and Bryan Devendorf, the National released their self-titled debut album,The National (2001), onBrassland Records, an independent record label founded by Aaron and his twin brother, Bryce Dessner. Bryce, who had assisted in recording the album, soon joined the band, participating as a full member in the recording of its follow-up,Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers (2003).
Leaving behind their day jobs, the National signed withBeggars Banquet Records and released their third studio album,Alligator (2005), to widespread critical acclaim. The band's fourth and fifth studio albums,Boxer (2007) andHigh Violet (2010), increased their exposure significantly. In 2013, the band released its sixth studio album,Trouble Will Find Me, which was nominated for aGrammy Award. In 2017, the band released the albumSleep Well Beast, which won the band a Grammy Award. Their eighth studio album,I Am Easy to Find, was released in 2019. Their ninth studio album,First Two Pages of Frankenstein, was released on April 28, 2023, and featured appearances fromSufjan Stevens,Taylor Swift, andPhoebe Bridgers. It reached No. 1 on theBillboard charts in the AAA & Rock categories. The band released asurprise album,Laugh Track, on September 18, 2023. It was mostly written and recorded alongside their earlier 2023 album.
Four of the band's albums were nominated by writer Laura Snapes for inclusion onNME's 2013 list of theNME's The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
Matt Berninger and Scott Devendorf met in 1991 while attending theUniversity of Cincinnati College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP) graphic design program,[5] where they also met Mike Brewer,Casey Reas, and Jeff Salem.[6] Together, the five of them formed the lo-fi garage band Nancy, named after Berninger's mother, aspiring to sound likePavement.[7] The band was together for five years, and released one album,Ruther 3429, on Wife Records before breaking up after Berninger, Devendorf, Reas and Salem moved toBrooklyn.[8][9] Bryan, Bryce, and Aaron were childhood friends who played in several bands together over the years. When their last effort, Project Nim, broke up in 1998, they joined Matt and Scott in Brooklyn by way of the Devendorf relationship.
When the band was formed in 1999, it was called "The National", although the domain name of the band's website is americanmary.com because, according to Matt Berninger, "it's a song off our first record. We never thought of changing the (website) name, although we should have."[10] Several of the members continued to work day jobs, including being involved in New York'sdot-com boom, while performing free Sunday night shows regularly atLower East Side venueLuna Lounge. Their first album,The National, was eventually released in 2001 onBrassland Records, a label founded by band members Aaron and Bryce Dessner, along with their friend Alec Hanley Bemis.[11] When reviewing the album, Jason MacNeil ofNo Depression wrote, "...The National has created nearly a dozen picture-perfectAmericana bar-soaked gems with its debut album. From the opening notes of 'Beautiful Head', the delicate line between polishedroots-oriented pop andalt-country has rarely been walked so deliberately with the payoff so favorable."[12]
The National's second album,Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers, released in 2003, was the band's first collaboration with record producersPaul Heck andPeter Katis,[13] who would later also produce the band's albumsAlligator andBoxer. After the French release of the album on the French labelTalitres, DJBernard Lenoir invited them to perform on his Black Sessions twice onFrance Inter. Publications such asUncut and theChicago Tribune named it the album of the year.[13] In 2004, they released theCherry Tree EP. The EP featured "All the Wine", a song that would appear on their next record.[14][15] The release of the EP garnered further success and landed them on a successful tour withThe Walkmen.[16] In the same year, the band quit their day jobs and signed to a new label,Beggars Banquet Records, because the process of running their own label was becoming "too complicated".[17]
Their first album on Beggars Banquet,Alligator, was released in 2005. The album was met with much critical acclaim and featured highly in "Album of the Year" charts in theLos Angeles Times,Insound,Uncut, and many other publications.[18] The album allowed the band increased exposure.NME andPitchfork rankedAlligator as a top album of the 2000s.[19]Alligator brought the band increased attendance at concerts, including sold-out shows atThe Troubadour in Los Angeles andWebster Hall in New York. They also played at numerous festivals including the 2006Pitchfork Music Festival,Reading and Leeds Festivals,Pukkelpop, and more.
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Their fourth album,Boxer, was released on May 22, 2007, and also received widespread critical praise.[20] The album features contributions from various guest artists, includingSufjan Stevens andDoveman. It was voted the No. 2 best album of the year byStereogum.com and the No. 1 album of the year byPaste.[21] The song "Slow Show" fromBoxer was featured on theNBC seriesChuck andParenthood, as well as onThe CW'sOne Tree Hill in its fifth season. The song "Start a War" was featured on the seriesDefying Gravity,Brothers and Sisters,House,Parenthood,Friday Night Lights, as well as the filmWarrior. The track "Fake Empire" was featured in the Season 2 Premiere of the HBO seriesHung, also on the 9th episode, season 5 of "Person of interest", and on the third episode of the second season ofChuck and in the pilot episode ofSouthland. An instrumental version of the song[22] was featured inBarack Obama's campaign video "Signs of Hope and Change" during his2008 United States presidential campaign,[23] and the song was also played at the2008 Democratic National Convention.Boxer made numerous "album of the decade" lists, including Pitchfork,[24]Aquarium Drunkard,[25]Paste,[26] and more.
On September 26, 2007, the band performed "Apartment Story" onThe Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. In 2008, along withModest Mouse, they opened forR.E.M. on the promotional tour for the R.E.M. albumAccelerate. That summer they played many festivals in North America and Europe, includingCoachella,Roskilde,Sasquatch,Glastonbury,Haldern Pop,Rock Werchter,Optimus Alive!,Oxegen,Benicàssim,Lowlands,O2 Wireless,T in the Park, All Points West, andLollapalooza.
In May 2008, the band released their first feature-length documentary film titledA Skin, a Night on DVD. The film, directed by filmmaker Vincent Moon, documents the lives of the band surrounding the recording ofBoxer and just before a show at the London venueKoko. Along with the release of the DVD was a CD collection of B-sides and rarities titledThe Virginia EP. The National's collaboration with Vincent Moon began long before the filming ofA Skin, a Night. Vincent Moon discovered the band after the release of their first album and became friends with its members after a show at Paris' La Guinguette Pirate. Soon after this meeting, Moon filmed his first music videos ever, which were for the National's songs "Daughters of the Soho Riots" and "Lit Up".[27] Moon's photography also appears on the cover forAlligator.
On February 17, 2009, a compilation album titledDark Was the Night was produced by Aaron and Bryce Dessner and released by4AD (the band's new label after Beggars Banquet Records merged into 4AD). The two-disc, 31-track compilation was released for the benefit of theRed Hot Organization, and featured a new song by the National andNico Muhly titled "So Far Around the Bend". In the same year, the National collaborated withSt. Vincent to contribute a cover ofCrooked Fingers' "Sleep All Summer" to theMerge Records compilationScore! 20 Years of Merge Records: The Covers!. On May 6, 2009, the National performed "So Far Around the Bend" onLate Night with Jimmy Fallon. The National contributed a track toCiao My Shining Star: The Songs of Mark Mulcahy in September 2009, an album in support of the formerPolaris front-man, who lost his wife. They covered the Polaris track "Ashamed of the Story I Told", from their albumMusic from The Adventures of Pete & Pete.
On March 24, the band released "Bloodbuzz Ohio", the first single from their forthcoming album,High Violet, for free download at the officialHigh Violet website.[28]High Violet was released on May 11, 2010, in the U.S. to widespread critical acclaim.[29] The album debuted with first week sales topping charts across the world, ranking No. 3 in the US, No. 2 in Canada, No. 5 in the United Kingdom, and No. 3 in Portugal, among others.[30]High Violet is aGold Album in Canada, Ireland, Denmark, Belgium, Australia and the United Kingdom. On May 13, 2010, the band appeared on theLate Show with David Letterman, performing "Afraid of Everyone".[31] On October 25, 2010, they were awarded a Q award, presented byBernard Sumner ofJoy Division andNew Order, for Best Album.[32] In promoting the album, the band made multiple national television appearances and toured globally, including festival appearances atLatitude Festival,Reading and Leeds Festivals, andSziget Festival.
In 2011 the National was nominated for a Brit Award for International Breakthrough Act and anMTV Performing Woodie.[33] Two of its songs, "Start a War" (fromBoxer) and "About Today", were featured in the filmWarrior. On March 9, 2011, the National released a music video for Conversation 16 featuringJohn Slattery,Kristen Schaal andJames Urbaniak.[34] Two days laterValve announced the band would be contributing an original song, titled "Exile Vilify", for the video gamePortal 2,[35] and on April 12, 2011, the band released "Think You Can Wait" from the soundtrack of the filmWin Win.
On April 20, 2011, the National played Starlight Theater in Kansas City, Missouri. During the show, the band played "About Today", and dedicated the song in memory of Gerard Smith ofTV on the Radio, who had died earlier that day of lung cancer.[36] On December 8, 2011, the band performed on Q (the CBC radio show) in front of a live audience. Two new songs were performed for the first time: "Rylan" and "I Need My Girl". The third song performed was "Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks" which featured Justin Vernon ofBon Iver who was also on the show.[37] On March 24, 2012, members of the band, Scott Devendorf, Bryan Devendorf andAaron Dessner, performed withBob Weir in a live broadcast concert,The Bridge Session, at Weir'sTRI Studios to bring awareness fornon-profit organization,HeadCount.[38]
The National recorded "The Rains of Castamere" for theGame of Thrones season 2 episode "Blackwater". They also recorded a cover of the song "I'll See You in My Dreams" for the HBO TV seriesBoardwalk Empire, and a cover of the "Thanksgiving Song" from the Fox TV seriesBob's Burgers.[39] On December 9, 2012, they debuted three new songs "I Should Live in Salt", "Humiliation", and "Graceless" at the All Tomorrow's Parties event in Camber Sands, United Kingdom. The track "Runaway" was used in the 2013 filmWarm Bodies.
The band announced their sixth studio album,Trouble Will Find Me, on February 25, 2013.[40] They released the video for "Demons", the album's first single, on April 8.[41] During a Reddit AMA on May 8, they premiered the video for the song "Sea of Love",[42] based onZvuki Mu's video for Grubiy Zakat.[43]Trouble Will Find Me was released via 4AD Records on May 21, 2013. The album debuted with first week sales topping charts across the world, ranking No. 3 in the US, Canada, and the UK, among others. Following the release, the band embarked on a world tour in support of the album.Trouble Will Find Me earned a Best Alternative Album nomination in the56th Annual Grammy Awards.[44] Aaron Dessner has described the album as the first one the band "really enjoyed making."[45]
On February 28, 2013, they announced the upcoming release of a documentary chronicling the lead singer's brother Tom Berninger's journey of touring with the band. The film, titledMistaken for Strangers, premiered at New York City'sTribeca Film Festival on April 17.[46]Mistaken for Strangers has been described as "a funny, eccentric and finally deeply poignant depiction of art, family, self-sabotage and the prickly intricacies of brotherly love."[47] The film was edited by Carin Besser, a longtime songwriter for the band and Berninger's wife.[2] It had a theatrical release in theaters across the United States and Europe. The band additionally played several festivals in the summer of 2013, including TheBoston Calling Music Festival in May 2013. That same year, they contributed the song "Lean" to thesoundtrack for the filmThe Hunger Games: Catching Fire.[48]
Promotion forTrouble Will Find Me included the band making their debut performance onSaturday Night Live, as well as several festival appearances, including headlining The Boston Calling Music Festival and Bonaroo. The band performed "Graceless" and "I Need My Girl" on the March 8, 2014 episode ofSaturday Night Live.[49] Several of their songs were used on television, including "Fireproof", "Hard to Find" and "England". In an interview published in June 2014, Berninger stated that the National would try a new approach to writing and recording an album, with plans to start in October 2014.[50] On April 2, 2015, the National released the single "Sunshine On My Back". The song is provided as a free download for renting or buyingMistaken for Strangers at its official website. The song comes from theTrouble Will Find Me recording sessions and featuresSharon van Etten.[51][52] The band headlined a handful of festivals during 2015, including Eaux Claires, a music festival held inEau Claire, Wisconsin curated by Bon Iver front-manJustin Vernon and the National's Aaron Dessner. They also headlinedTreasure Island Music Festival.[53] In his review of the festival,Consequence of Sound's Zack Ruskin described the band's performance as "a masterclass in a band that has fully come into their own" and wrote that it "proved once again why they are one of the most exceptional and impressive rock bands of our time."[54]
On October 16, 2015, the band debuted a new song called "Roman Candle" (which would later be released as "Walk It Back" onSleep Well Beast) at Troubadour in Los Angeles.[55] In an interview published in November 2015, Berninger expressed the band's desire to play their new songs in a live setting before recording them: "Over the summer of 2016 we're going to do a lot of shows with the new stuff and then record the next National album."[56] On March 2, 2016, it was announced that the band was to headline Latitude Festival in theUnited Kingdom. In August 2016, Berninger indicated that the new album had electronic influences while they premiered the song "Prom Song 13th Century (Frankie & Johnny)" featuring St. Vincent.[57]
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On May 11, 2017, the single "The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness" was released after two days of mysterious teasers. At the same time, a new album was announced, titledSleep Well Beast, which was released September 8, 2017.[58] The album's second single, "Guilty Party" was released on June 28, 2017.[59] The band released "Carin at the Liquor Store", the third single from the album, on August 8, 2017.[60] On August 29, 2017, they released the fourth single, "Day I Die".[61] Matt Berninger has said he and Carin Besser wrote much ofSleep Well Beast about the challenges of their own marriage. The album was also heavily influenced by the2016 United States presidential election.[62]
The band scheduled a worldwide tour in support of the album, which began in September 2017. In August 2017, "The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness" became the band's first song to reach number one on aBillboard songs chart, reaching number one on theAdult Alternative Songs chart.[63] On November 28, 2017, the album was nominated for twoGrammy Awards: forBest Alternative Music Album andBest Recording Package,[64][65] later winning the Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album, which bassistScott Devendorf accepted on behalf of the band.[66] While on tour to support the album, the National performed new music during a performance in Zagreb, Croatia.[67][68] The band wrote the music for the 2018 musicalCyrano byErica Schmidt, an adaptation of the 1896 playCyrano de Bergerac byEdmond Rostand, which starred Schmidt's husbandPeter Dinklage in the lead role. Like most of the National's music, the songs forCyrano all have lyrics by Besser and Berninger, and music by the Dessner brothers.[69]
On March 5, 2019, in an interview with Indie88 in Toronto, Aaron Dessner confirmed the band's new album would be calledI Am Easy to Find, and was scheduled for release on May 17. He also debuted the album's first single "You Had Your Soul with You".[70] The band also announced aMike Mills-directed short film of the same name starringAlicia Vikander, which uses different arrangements of songs from the album as its soundtrack.[71] On April 4, 2019, the band released their second single and closing song offI Am Easy to Find titled "Light Years", accompanied by a music video starring Alicia Vikander.[72] On May 1, 2019, the band released their third single fromI Am Easy to Find titled "Hairpin Turns", accompanied by a music video.[73] The band released acassette box set titledJuicy Sonic Magic forRecord Store Day Black Friday on November 29, 2019, which featured their set at theHearst Greek Theatre inBerkeley, California in September 2018.[74]
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The National's final show before theCOVID-19 pandemic was on December 12, 2019, at Campo Pequeno in Lisbon, Portugal.[citation needed] In 2020, the band contributed toTaylor Swift's ninth studio album,Evermore, appearing alongside Swift on the song "Coney Island". The album was co-produced by Aaron Dessner and Bryce Dessner (the former of whom also co-produced Swift's eighth studio albumFolklore).[75] In 2021,Cyrano was adapted as a film musical, also calledCyrano, again starring Dinklage. For the film, Aaron and Bryce Dessner composed an instrumental score separate from the film's songs. The band also wrote two new songs for the film: "Every Letter", which is sung in the film byHaley Bennett, and "Somebody Desperate", which is performed by the National themselves over the end credits.[76]
After the COVID-19 pandemic, the band returned to touring and live performance in May 2022, playing their first show in two and a half years at Baluarte inPamplona, Spain on May 28, 2022. At the show, the band performed three new songs: "Grease in Your Hair (Birdie)", "Tropic Morning News (Haversham)" and "Weird Goodbyes" – then known as "Bathwater (Mount Auburn)".[77] A fourth new song, "Ice Machines", was premiered in Paris; a fifth, "Space Invader (Threaded Gold)", was performed during the band's set at theNewport Folk Festival in July.[78] In August 2022, Bryce Dessner said that the band was "discovering things" about their new material "in real time" by playing it every night.
What I can say is that we're at a high watermark in terms of our creativity as a band. There's a lot happening, and a lot of music. We're allowing ourselves to dream about it, take risks, try things and give the songs time to develop. It's starting to become something we're really excited about. It's hard to say what shape it will take, but there's a ton there.[79]
On August 22, 2022, the National released "Weird Goodbyes" as their first single in three years. The studio version of the song featuresBon Iver, as well as strings performed by theLondon Contemporary Orchestra.[80] In January 2023, the band started to share teases of a forthcoming announcement – including a password-protected passage fromFrankenstein shared on their website, edited to include references to Swift,Phoebe Bridgers, and Sufjan Stevens.[81] A week later, the band officially announced their ninth studio album,First Two Pages of Frankenstein, which was released on April 28. The news came with the release of its first single, "Tropic Morning News". Bridgers, Swift and Stevens were also confirmed to feature on the album, as were the previously performed songs "Grease in Your Hair" and "Ice Machines".[82] Two singles, "Space Invader" and "Alphabet City", were released on August 17, 2023.[83] They were later included on thesurprise albumLaugh Track, which was announced three days before its release at Homecoming Festival in Cincinnati, Ohio, on September 15, 2023.[84] A livedouble album titledRome, recorded at theAuditorium Parco della Musica, was released on December 13, 2024.[85]
Regarding a potential eleventh studio album, the band confirmed in November 2024 that they had been writing new, improvised material during their 2024 tour, in a similar style to "Smoke Detector", the near-eight-minute closing track toLaugh Track, which was created during asoundcheck on tour.[86] The band expressed their desire to make their eleventh album "loose and improvised", with Scott Devendorf noting: "I think it inspires Matt to write. He's the one that's been pushing hard for these soundcheck jams."[86]
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The National has released ten studio albums, six live albums, and two extended plays since their debut in 1999. This has resulted in 21concert tours, and several television, radio, and online performances. Since their debut, they have playedfestivals likeCoachella,Lollapalooza, andBonnaroo in the United States andGlastonbury Festival,Roskilde Festival andPrimavera Sound abroad, promoting their albums and testing unreleased music.
In the bands early years, they toured as supporting acts for bands likeThe Walkmen andPavement. Their debut radio performance was onFrance Inter’s Black Sessions with radio presenter, DJBernard Lenoir in 2005. After the release of their acclaimed third studio album,Alligator, the band sold out bothThe Troubadour in Los Angeles andWebster Hall in New York. The success ofAlligator also brought on their debut at festivals, includingPitchfork Music Festival,Reading and Leeds Festivals, andPukkelpop.
As the National gained popularity, they began appearing on national and internationally televised stages. In 2007, while promotingBoxer, the band performed "Apartment Story" onThe Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. In 2010, while promoting their compilation albumDark Was the Night the band performed "Terrible Love", the lead track fromHigh Violet, onLate Night with Jimmy Fallon. That same year, they appeared on theLate Show with David Letterman, performing "Afraid of Everyone." The National's debut performance onSaturday Night Live was in 2014, performing "Graceless" and "I Need My Girl" with hostLena Dunham.
Since their debut in the late 1990s, The National has performed at venues such asMadison Square Garden,The O2 Arena, andAlexandra Palace, on national and international television broadcasts such asJools Holland, and numerous festivals around the world. In 2024, the band played at Glastonbury on the 'Other Stage' and at the Lake Stage at theMontreux Jazz Festival.[87]
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Headlining
Supporting
Regarding the band name, the National,Matt Berninger explained this way in a 2007 interview:
When anyone's coming up with a band name, it was one of those things. We were trying to find a name that didn't mean anything. That was sort of devoid of any kind of interpretation and wasn't overly clever. It's just very simple. And that was the simplest thing we could think of just because it is so... You can't walk down the street without seeing the words "The National" something or other somewhere. So it was benign and meaningless; that's kind of why we picked it. Although that backfired a little bit because we went to Europe—we probably should have thought of this ahead of time—but nationalism has a very right-wing connotation, especially in Germany, France and ... the Nationalists and the National Front and all that kind of stuff. So in Germany, we actually had some shows boycotted because they thought we were in someway affiliated with the right-wing conservative neo-Nazi party, which we had to do some press to make sure people realized that we were not associated with the Nazis. The band name, it's kind of funny, when we started out, we would probably name it something else, but we're stuck with it, and I'm happy with it.
— Matt Berninger on theSceneStar.com[88]
Aaron and Bryce Dessner write and develop the music which Matt Berninger then responds to, building lyrics on the music Aaron and Bryce have written.[89] Berninger has said that the melody and the rhythm come first and then words and imagery will start to stick to a melody, stating, "I never sit and fill a journal with lyrics."[90] Kitty Empire inThe Guardian characterized the band as exploring "literate rock that presents at first as artily sombre, and eventually as one of the most nuanced 21st-century iterations of what used to be known as college rock".[58]
The National has been compared toJoy Division,Leonard Cohen,Interpol,Wilco,Depeche Mode,Radiohead, andNick Cave & the Bad Seeds.[91] The band's lyrics have been described as "dark, melancholy and difficult to interpret."[92]
Touring musicians
Former touring musicians
As individual artists, the National has embarked on several musical projects outside of their work together as a band.
In 2009, Aaron Dessner collaborated withJustin Vernon, lead singer of indie folk bandBon Iver on the song "Big Red Machine," which was featured on theDark Was the Night compilation album benefiting theRed Hot Organization. That same year the duo officially formed a band of the same name,Big Red Machine.[93] Aaron has also produced music forEd Sheeran,[94]Michael Stipe,[95]Gracie Abrams,[96]Frightened Rabbit,[97]Ben Howard,[98] and Taylor Swift's albumFolklore, which he won a Grammy for Album of the Year in 2021.
In 2018, Bryce Dessner's collaboration with pianistsKatia and Marielle Labèque formalized into the group, Dream House Quartet, with the addition of guitarist and composerDavid Chalmin of La Terre Invisible.[99] Dessner is a producer and composer, having worked withPhilip Glass,Steve Reich, Alejandro Iñarritú,[100]Paul Simon,[101]Sufjan Stevens,[102]Caroline Shaw, and Taylor Swift.[103]
Bryan Devendorf released his debut solo album,Royal Green, in 2020.[104] Prior to his solo project he released albums withPfarmers, asupergroup consisting of himself, Danny Seim ofMenomena andLackthereof, and Dave Nelson of Sufjan Stevens andSt. Vincent. Pfarmers released the albumsGunnera in 2015 andOur Puram in 2016.[105] Devendorf also released projects with his brother Scott, Ben Lanz, and Aaron Arntz in the group LNZNDRF.[106]
Matt Berninger released his debut solo album,Serpentine Prison, in 2020.[107] He previously formed a duo with Brent Knopf ofRamona Falls and Menomena, calledEL VY. EL VY released the albumReturn to the Moon in 2015.[108] He is expected to release his second solo album,Get Sunk, on May 30, 2025.[109]
In addition to his work in LNZNDRF, Scott Devendorf is a part of the DJ duo group DJead Night withConrad Doucette. DJead Night's shows often feature live art from Michael and Dan Goodwin.[110]
The National supported both of Barack Obama's presidential candidacies in2008 and2012.[111][112] In July 2008, the band designed and sold a T-shirt featuring Obama's image above the words "Mr. November," a reference to both their song fromAlligator and the month of the U.S. presidential election. All proceeds were donated to Obama's campaign.[113] On October 16, 2008, the band played a rally for Barack Obama onFountain Square in their hometown of Cincinnati withThe Breeders.[114] Buses for early voting were available before the show to take voters to the Hamilton County Board of Elections.
On September 28, 2010, the National played in front of over 25,000 people before a speech by President Obama at a rally inMadison, Wisconsin.[115] On September 1, 2012, the band opened for the President at a campaign rally in Urbandale, Iowa in front of a crowd in excess of 10,000 people.[116] In October, the band traveled to Ohio where they played two free shows and visited university campuses as part of Barack Obama's GottaVote campaign to encourage young adults to register to vote and to cast their vote for Obama.
In November 2016, the National played a concert for presidential candidateHillary Clinton.[117]
In 2008 the band designed a T-shirt[118] for theYellow Bird Project to raise money for Safe Space NYC, an organization which provides safe refuge for underprivileged children and families in Southeast Queens.[119]
On February 17, 2009,Dark Was the Night, the twentiethRed Hot Organization compilation, was released.[120][121][122] Curated by Aaron and Bryce Dessner, this album comprised songs by bands and artists such asArcade Fire,Grizzly Bear,Beirut,David Byrne, Sufjan Stevens,Spoon,The Dirty Projectors,Feist and the National, among others.[120][121][122][123] Over one million dollars of the proceeds from album sales were donated to the Red Hot Organization, an international organization dedicated to fightingAIDS.[124][125]
On May 3, 2009, Aaron and Bryce Dessner curated a concert forDark Was the Night atRadio City Music Hall in New York City. Other than the band, performers includedDavid Byrne,The Dirty Projectors,Feist, and several other artists who contributed to the compilation.[126][127] Red Hot Organization founder and director,John Carlin, was quoted as saying, "Dark Was the Night encapsulated the spirit and creativity of a new generation of musicians whose work struck a chord and got people to actually purchase the album and raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to fight AIDS."[128]
The National have supportedPartners in Health throughout the Trouble Will Find Me Tour by working with Plus One to donate $1 from ticket sales at select shows to raise money for Partners in Health.[129][130]
On March 17, 2016, the band announcedDay of the Dead, aRed Hot Organization charity tribute album to theGrateful Dead released on May 20, 2016.[131]Day of the Dead was created, curated and produced by Aaron and Bryce.[132] The compilation, which took four years to record, is a wide-ranging tribute to the songwriting and experimentalism of the band, and features over 60 artists from varied musical backgrounds. It has 59 tracks and is almost 6 hours long. All profits will help fight for AIDS/ HIV and related health issues around the world through the Red Hot Organization.[133]Day of the Dead is the follow-up to 2009'sDark Was The Night (4AD), a 32-track, multi-artist compilation also produced by Aaron and Bryce for Red Hot.[134][135]
Day of the Dead features collaborations and recordings from a diverse group of artists includingWilco,Flaming Lips,Bruce Hornsby, Justin Vernon, the National,The War on Drugs,Kurt Vile,Lee Ranaldo ofSonic Youth,Ira Kaplan ofYo La Tengo,Jenny Lewis,Lucius,The Tallest Man on Earth,Unknown Mortal Orchestra,Perfume Genius,Jim James ofMy Morning Jacket, Senegalese collectiveOrchestra Baobab, composerTerry Riley and his sonGyan Riley, electronic artistTim Hecker,So Percussion, jazz pianistVijay Iyer andBela Fleck.[136]
Of the 59 tracks on the compilation, many feature a house band made up of Aaron, Bryce, brothers Scott and Bryan Devendorf,Josh Kaufman (who co-produced the project), Conrad Doucette (ofTakka Takka), Sam Cohen and Walter Martin. The National have three tracks on the album: "Peggy-O", "Morning Dew" and "I Know You Rider".
ADay of the Dead live performance took place in August 2016 at the secondEaux Claires Festival, featuring the band as well as Jenny Lewis, Matthew Houck,Lucius,Will Oldham,Sam Amidon,Richard Reed Parry, Justin Vernon, Bruce Hornsby, So Percussion, Ruban Nielson.[137]
The National have played numerous benefits for a range of organizations, including MusiCares, Artists for Peace and Justice and the Robin Hood Foundation. They have also played atPhilip Glass'sTibet House US (an organization that is dedicated to preservingTibetan culture) at New York'sCarnegie Hall twice: once in 2009 and once in 2014.[138][139] The annual show is organized to help raise money for "the cultural institution" of the Tibetan heritage.
In October 2015, the National played two shows at The Troubadour in Los Angeles benefitting Cooperative for Education and their Thousand Girls Initiative, which is a program aimed at supporting the growth of educational opportunities for girls in Guatemala.[140]
The National's albums have accumulated severalRIAA silver, gold, and platinum certifications across music charts in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Belgium, and other countries. They have the most certifications from Canada, including Platinum status for their single “I Need My Girl” and gold certifications for their albums,Trouble Will Find Me,High Violet, and singles "About Today," "Bloodbuzz," and "Fake Empire." In 2017, "The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness" became the band's first song to reach number one on aBillboard songs chart, reaching number one on theAdult Alternative Songs chart. They have been nominated for threeGrammy Awards, threeNME Awards, and oneBrit Award.
| Year | Award Ceremony | Category | Nominee/work | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Brit Award | International Breakthrough Act | The National | [141] |
| Spike Video Game Awards | Best Song in a Game | "Exile Vilify" | [142] | |
| 2014 | World Music Awards | World's Best Album | Trouble Will Find Me | |
| World's Best Live Act | The National | |||
| World's Best Group | The National | |||
| Grammy Awards | Best Alternative Music Album | Trouble Will Find Me | [143] | |
| 2018 | Grammy Awards | Best Alternative Music Album | Sleep Well Beast | [144] |
| Best Recording Package | ||||
| NME Awards | Best Album | [145] | ||
| Best Band in the World | The National | [145] |
| Preceded by | Saturday Night Livemusical guest March 8, 2014 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
