Biography
Grammy-nominated outfit The National slowly worked their way from the barrooms of Brooklyn to the upper reaches of the Billboard charts with a heartfelt blend of Americana, chamber pop and indie-rock. Originally from Ohio, lead vocalist Matt Berninger and bassist Scott Devendorf had originally performed together in the lo-fi garage band Nancy before teaming up with the latter's drummer brother Bryan, and his guitarist childhood friends Aaron and Bryce Dessner to form The National. Released through the Dessners' own Brassland Records label in 2001, the group's self-titled debut received glowing reviews, as did Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers, the 2003 sophomore which established their long-running partnership with producers Paul Heck and Peter Katis. Following 2004's Cherry Tree EP, The National signed to Beggars Banquet Records and ended up on many year-end lists with their 2005 album, Alligator. 2007's fourth LP, Boxer, an ambitious affair featuring guest appearances from Sufjan Stevens and Doveman, saw them reach new audiences thanks to its use on various TV soundtracks, a support slot on R.E.M's "Accelerate" tour and an appearance on "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (CBS, 2005-2014). The National then teamed up with French filmmaker Vincent Moon for "A Skin, a Night" (2008), an experimental documentary based on the recording of Boxer, performed at various rallies in aid of Barack Obama's Presidential campaign and contributed to a charity compilation, Dark Was the Night, curated by the Dessners. But it was 2010's High Violet where their commercial success started to match their critical, peaking at No.3 in the US and No.5 in the UK, while songs recorded specially for "Game of Thrones" (HBO, 2011-), "Boardwalk Empire" (HBO, 2010-14) and "Bob's Burgers" (Fox, 2011-) continued to increase their mainstream profile. Its accompanying tour was later documented by Berninger's brother Tom on festival hit "Mistaken for Strangers" (2013), which hit cinemas the same year that the band's sixth studio effort, Trouble Will Find Me, also hit stores. Matching the Billboard peak of its predecessor, the record also featured guest spots from St. Vincent, Sharon van Etten and Arcade Fire's Richard Reed Parry, and later picked up a Best Alternative Music Album nomination at the 2014 Grammys. In 2016, the group collaborated with Icelandic artist Ragnar Kjartansson on "A Lot of Sorrow", a performance art piece in which they played the song "Sorrow" continuously for six hours.
