The National Interview
Aaron and Bryce Dessner. Scott and Bryan Devendorf. Matt Berninger. Two pairs of brothers and a big blonde guy. This is The National.
Starting out as kids in Ohio and now approaching middle age in the most energized city on the planet, New York (they call Brooklyn home), the five men of The National still find themselves without the 'household name' tag. But continually enjoy the bestowing of the 'critically acclaimed' banner. A banner they wear like mysterious gimlet-eyed contestants in a beauty pageant. A pageant held in a decadent and decaying, smoky-smog drenched European city. This is The National.
Feeling the lavishing praise heaped upon the band's fourth release, Alligator, the five men of The National have been and will be living on the road standing up to the media's praise and the band's promise. A promise that has kept 'those in the know' waiting for the band's new albums like men wait for the bathing suit competition in a European beauty pageant... This is The National.
Creating music, quietly rich, from an insular or small town perspective, a view no doubt reached due to the sibling make-up. I'm not saying they sound 'small town', they are a small town. A fading American town full of shut down steel mills, empty parking lots, and too much time to think. A town built on the backs of European immigrants, where the music rises up from a deep old well, flooded with centuries of culture and living. Standing in the center of this sound is the dark, anxious voice of Matt Berninger. A sonorous voice, which begs many comparisons, but flattens them with the lyrical unveiling of faults and foibles. This is The National.
Alan Williamson (*sixeyes), contributing writer at betterPropaganda, tossed a few questions their way... and Matt from The National tossed back some answers... this is The Interview.
Better Propaganda: I feel that The National derives much of its character from the often obtuse and sometimes humorous lyrics and I'm wondering... are there many inside jokes in the songs? Also, do you first write in a more personal vein, but then have to dress up the lines when you feel too exposed?
Matt Berninger: Sometimes I worry about exposing unattractive details but the awkward, ugly little moments are more tangible and compelling than sounding cool. Some of it is autobiographical, but a lot is just storytelling. The woman in red socks pissing in the sink in "City Middle" is only partly true. Its interesting to shine a light on the unsavory things we do but it's never intended as a joke. I don't mean to humiliate the people in the songs. I try to have respect and empathy for them, especially when they are me.
