between paragraphs.
Matt Berninger, frontman of indie rock band The National, recently revealed how he struggles with writer’s block. This admission came shortly after the surprise release of their ninth album ‘Laugh Track’, which dropped on September 18th.
The Homecoming Festival in Cincinnati, Ohio, where the album was announced, was the perfect setting for the band to showcase their latest work. In a recent interview with The Independent, Berninger opened up about his writing struggles and how he was almost paralyzed by the fear of failure.
“I couldn’t even open a laptop,” Berninger said. “I could barely pick up my phone. Everything symbolised my paralysis. Everything was evidence of failure. So once it started coming back, I thought: I have to keep writing.”
In order to keep the creative juices flowing, Berninger has made it a priority to write every day. He also uses text messages to himself as a way to capture ideas while they are fresh in his mind. “I don’t know why I text myself,” he said, “but it has become such a fluid way of catching the leaves as they fall.”
The National’s Aaron Dessner recently shared his thoughts on ‘Laugh Track’ with Apple Music 1’s Zane Lowe. “It’s always like this special moment when you realise it’s bouncing off people and it’s cathartic in people’s lives and just songs take on a much different, they always surprise us,” Dessner said.
The record features several collaborations, including Bon Iver on ‘Weird Goodbyes’, Rosanne Cash on ‘Crumble’ and Phoebe Bridgers on the title track. NME gave ‘Laugh Track’ a four-star rating, praising the band’s willingness to explore new styles and sounds.
In a statement accompanying the album, Berninger said that this period of writing felt like shedding a skin and that the band was entering a new chapter. With ‘Laugh Track’, The National have done just that, and fans are sure to love what comes next.
Leave a Reply