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While indie rock stalwarts
the National emerged from Brooklyn in the early 2000s amidst a garage rock revival that included bands like
the Strokes,
the Walkmen, and, in the U.K.,
the Libertines, they distinguished themselves by drawing from a wider set of influences. Merging elements of alternative country-rock, Americana, and chamber pop as well as post-punk into their moody, crafted indie rock, their earliest albums won a dedicated fan base and critical praise before they made an impact on the charts with their fourth LP, 2007's
Boxer. It marked a gradual shift away from some of their more rustic influences, as they embraced a more expansive, orchestral sound behind the literate lyrics and brooding vocals of frontman
Matt Berninger. An album-oriented band that had yet to land on the Hot 100,
the National catapulted into the Top Three of the album charts in multiple countries with 2010's
High Violet. They remained a Top Three act throughout the decade, which included the still more expansive, Grammy-winning
Sleep Well Beast from 2017 and 2019's chart-topping
I Am Easy to Find. Following a collaboration with
Taylor Swift on her 2020 track "Coney Island,"
the National contributed to the soundtrack for the 2021 film
Cyrano.
Founded by lead vocalist
Matt Berninger,
Aaron Dessner (guitar, bass), and brothers
Scott Devendorf (bass, guitar) and
Bryan Devendorf (drums) in 1999,
the National emerged from Cincinnati, Ohio garage punk band Nancy. Consisting of
Berninger,
Scott Devendorf, Mike Brewer, Casey Reas, and
Jeff Salem, Nancy released the album Ruther 3429 before disbanding when members including
Berninger and
Devendorf relocated to Brooklyn, New York. Once there, the two former graphic design students joined forces with Cincinnati native and Columbia University graduate
Aaron Dessner and
Scott's brother
Bryan Devendorf. The quartet secured a weekly residency at Manhattan's Luna Lounge and went to work on their debut album.
The National saw release in 2001 on Brassland Records, an independent label founded by
Aaron Dessner and his twin brother
Bryce, a Yale graduate with a Master's degree in music.
Bryce soon joined the group on guitar, solidifying a lineup that would remain intact through their rise to mainstream success.
Also released on Brassland, the band's sophomore LP, 2003's
Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers, reunited
the National with producer
Nick Lloyd. It stuck with their debut's sophisticated mix of country-influenced rock and plaintive chamber pop. The album also introduced longtime collaborator
Padma Newsome, who contributed violin, viola, and string arrangements. The quintet returned two years later with
Alligator, which also featured strings by
Newsome as well as piano and organ by
Newsome and
Lloyd. It marked their debut on the Beggars Banquet label. Their fourth full-length,
Boxer, proved a commercial breakthrough in 2007. Featuring expanded instrumentation, including woodwinds and brass, keyboards by
Thomas Bartlett (
Doveman), and production by the band and
Peter Katis, it reached number 68 on the Billboard 200.
Boxer charted higher in countries including but not limited to the U.K., New Zealand, and Finland. A year later, they issued The Virginia EP, a collection of unreleased songs, B-sides, demos, and live recordings.
The National signed with 4AD for their fifth studio LP,
High Violet. Released in 2010, it embraced the more cinematic sound of
Boxer with guests that included not only returning collaborators
Newsome and
Bartlett, but such names as
Sufjan Stevens,
Nico Muhly,
Nadia Sirota,
Bon Iver's
Justin Vernon, and
Arcade Fire's
Richard Reed Parry.
High Violet landed in the Top Three in the U.S., Canada, and a handful of European countries, and reached number five in the U.K. They had similar chart placements with 2013's
Trouble Will Find Me, which also featured
Bartlett,
Muhly,
Parry, and
Stevens alongside over a dozen other instrumentalists.
Sharon Van Etten,
Nona Marie Invie, and
St. Vincent's
Annie Clark sang on the record. It was recognized with a Grammy nomination in the alternative album category. Capturing a six-hour live performance of the same song, "Sorrow," at MoMA PS1 in May of 2013, the nine-LP box set Lot of Sorrow followed in 2015.
Around that time, members of
the National pursued side projects -- together and separately -- including
Pfarmers, a collaboration between
Bryan Devendorf,
Menomena's
Danny Seim, and trombonist Dave Nelson (
David Byrne and
St. Vincent). The avant indie rock trio released
Gunnera in mid-2015. Later that year,
Berninger issued
Return to the Moon as half of the indie rock duo
EL VY with multi-instrumentalist
Brent Knopf (
Menomena,
Ramona Falls). In early 2016,
Bryan and
Scott Devendorf joined
Beirut's
Ben Lanz in the experimental rock outfit
LNZNDRF. They released their self-titled album via 4AD, following it with the EP
Green Roses in August, the same month
Pfarmers released their follow-up, Our Puram.
The National then reconvened in the studio.
Produced again by the band with help from
Katis,
the National's third studio album for 4AD and seventh overall, 2017's
Sleep Well Beast, continued a trend toward vaster soundscapes. It went to number two in the U.S. and topped the charts in Canada, Ireland, and the U.K.
Sleep Well Beast also won
the National a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album in early 2018. Boxer: Live in Brussels saw release later in 2018.
The National returned in May 2019 with their eighth studio album,
I Am Easy to Find. Inspired by a collaboration with filmmaker Mike Mills, the album reached number one on the U.S. Top Rock Albums chart and also showcased cameos by a number of female vocalists, including
Gail Ann Dorsey,
Eve Owen, and
Sharon Van Etten. Meanwhile,
Aaron Dessner's high profile production efforts for
Taylor Swift led to
the National appearing on "Coney Island" from
Swift's 2020 album
Evermore. After contributing a cover of
INXS' "Never Tear Us Apart" to the bushfire relief charity album
Songs for Australia, the band returned in 2021 with the original song "Somebody Desperate" for the
Cyrano soundtrack. ~ Marcy Donelson