.MattBerninger opened up to Billboard about his album's connection to an argument with his father, why The National probably won't record a new album anytime soon and more.
features a cast of burnout cases, nomads and spurned lovers set to music that, while not a significant departure from that produced by Berninger’s bandmates , is more sedate and nuanced under Jones' direction. “It’s not the warmest hug, but it’s supposed to be a comforting record," says Berninger."Even though it’s got a lot of spikes in it."Anyone who’s been to one of The National’s concerts will understand.
And this is a dear family friend. That’s what’s also so messed up about it. I had all these feelings about that. I’m much harder on my dad’s friends sometimes than my dad is. My dad and my Uncle Jack were the only Democrats I think in their whole social network. It was hard for them to be the only ones who were cool with gay marriage. So, God, my dad is totally my hero, but we still go at it sometimes.
Well, sure. Anger, sadness, depression, anxiety, fear, lust, self-loathing -- art is the only place for that stuff, and it’s the best place for all that stuff. Or a therapist. If you can’t afford a therapist and you need to go more than once every two weeks then I suggest art. I suggest going to rock clubs. I suggest starting a band. I suggest making a record because making art has saved my life. It saved my soul. It saved my heart.I only started seeing a therapist a couple of years ago.
The song is about the exodus of young, artsy people from the Midwest and the South to places like New York, L.A., Chicago or Austin. I feel that distinctly. I was also listening to [Bruce Springsteen’s], and a lot of that album is about hitting the road and getting out of Dodge. I wrote that song for my daughter. At some point you have to strike out and do your own thing.Well, I don’t really write differently.
Sometimes these songs aren’t necessarily autobiographical. People keep asking me about the song “Oh Dearie,” which looks deep into the well of depression. I’ve been halfway down the ladder, but I’ve never been at the bottom with no ladder. But I know people that have been there for the entire time I’ve known them. Or they’ve only gotten halfway up the ladder. They’ve never been out of the well. That song is about those people and my empathy for them, but it’s not about me.
We talked to a lot of labels, and landed with Concord, which owns Stax Records, where Booker has a really long history. We even talked about rebooting Stax for a new generation. But Booker had a mixed relationship with Stax, so he was like, “Let’s do our own thing.” Concord also said,"Let’s start fresh." So, I named it Book Records, and then I had to change it to Book’s Records because Scott McCaughey [from The Young Fresh Fellows] and R.E.M.
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