The National

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Notes

The National are a Brooklyn-based five-piece hailing from Ohio. The group contains two pairs of brothers -- Bryce Dessner (guitars), Aaron Dessner (bass, guitars), Scott Devendorf (bass, guitars), and Bryan Devendorf (drums) -- and features Matt Berninger on vocals. In recent years, brass players & multi-instrumentalists Kyle Resnick and Ben Lanz, both members of Beirut, have become increasingly integral to the band's live shows. Between Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers and Boxer, Padma Newsome from Brassland labelmates Clogs fulfilled a similar "key sideman" role, guesting on viola and violin, and working on the band's arrangements.

The National's music has drawn comparisons to Interpol, the Smiths, Tindersticks, and Tom Waits -- the latter due to Berninger's shattered, beautiful earthquake of a voice, which recalls the holy trinity of Cave, Cash and Cohen. However, though concerned with the forensics of heartbreak specifically and the human condition generally, the band are no mere copycats.

In 2005, The National graduated from Brassland and signed to the considerably larger British label, Beggars Banquet, releasing a series of critically acclaimed albums -- Alligator (2005), Boxer (2007), High Violet (2010) and Trouble Will Find Me (2013) -- and touring relentlessly, mostly throughout North America, the UK, Europe and Australia, though also in such far reaching locales as Japan, Turkey, and Moscow. They've grown in popularity to become one of the most beloved and well-known bands on the independent music circuit.

Regardless, The National retain strong ties with Brassland, a label founded, in part, to release the band's music. For example, The National's members have collaborated on record or live with Clogs, Nico Muhly, Pela, This is the Kit, Clogs and Doveman; helped to develop relationships with a next generation of artists, such as Buke and Gase, People Get Ready and Jherek Bischoff; and frequently invite bands from the Brassland roster to participate in live events.

Boy, that makes it sound really serious! Just watch this:



Or this: