The National
Four years have passed since the release of Trouble Will Find Me, and to the outside world it might have seemed like the members of the National spent that long interim working on everything but new National songs. But in September 2014, two months before the band headlined the 20,000-seat O2 Arena in London, Aaron passed along the first set of musical sketches to Matt. “We really didn’t take much of a break,” says Matt. “We started working on this record the minute we finished touring the last one. The only break we took was from the constant pressure we put on each other.”
"We didn't feel like rushing it,” says Aaron, who produced Sleep Well Beast. “People thought the National went away, but we were just working on ideas." With members now living in five different cities, the band made an extra effort to get together in the same room – sometimes in studios in upstate New York, or out in Los Angeles. “We’ve always worked on demos together," explains Bryce. "But this time we were actually in the same physical space doing it.”
“When we all lived in Brooklyn we rarely did these kinds of week-long sessions” says Scott. “This time we got together for long stretches, just to mess around and experiment without deadlines or distractions.”
There are songs on Sleep Well Beast that are instantly recognizable as the National, but others are much harder to classify. The lyrics are about “trying to come clean about the things you’d rather not,” says Matt. “Some of it’s about marriage, some of it’s about my relationship with Aaron and the band, some of it’s about train tracks and dancing." Guitar solos appear like never before, yet on some songs guitars account for only a tiny fraction of the music. "It was important that we genuinely explore new territory and risk falling on our faces, or not make a record at all," explains Aaron. "This album feels complete to me.”
The National and FabFilter
"We first heard of FabFilter via an engineering friend of ours. We use the FabFilter Pro-R reverb and Pro-C 2 compressor. The reverb is warm and natural sounding, which we like a lot and the compressor is very natural sounding. We’re a big fan of these plug ins at our studio."
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Artist overview
- Alawn
- Armin van Buuren
- Bil VornDick
- BINKBEATS
- Bjorn Akesson
- Bob Power
- Callum Connor
- Caveman
- Celldweller
- Charlie Crown
- Chocolate Puma
- Chris Lake
- Cinthie
- D. James Goodwin
- Damien Lewis
- Dana Nielsen
- Daniel Shores
- Dave Pensado
- David Catching / Rancho de la Luna
- Delta Spirit
- Dem Jointz
- DJ Nu-Mark
- Elkka
- Erik 'Blu2th' Griggs
- Extrawelt
- Fabian Marasciullo
- Francesco Cameli
- Gary Miller
- Gethin Pearson
- Glenn Schick
- Glisz
- Greg Wells
- Greg Wurth
- Groove Armada
- Hardwell
- Howie Weinberg
- Ian Dowling
- J Devil
- James Hannigan
- Jamie Lidell
- Jan 'Stan' Kybert
- Jason Graves
- Jason Miles
- Jeff Ellis
- Joe Barresi
- Joe West
- Joel Little
- John Hill
- Joost van den Broek
- Joseph Renzetti
- Josh Rogosin
- Julia Borelli
- Justin Stanley
- Kevin Killen
- Kevin Madigan
- Khaliq Glover
- Koen Heldens
- Local Natives
- Manny Marroquin
- Marc Carolan
- Matt Lawrence
- Matt Schaeffer
- Matthew Burnett
- Megan McDuffee
- Michael Graves
- Mike Cave
- Miles Walker
- Modeselektor
- Mogwai
- Morgan Page
- Mucky
- múm
- Neal Avron
- Neal H Pogue
- Neil Dorfsman
- Noah Georgeson
- Noisia
- Olav Basoski
- Omar Hakim
- Paula Tape
- Pedro Viñuela Romero
- Recoil
- Remy.
- Ricardo Sangiao
- Robbie Nelson
- Robert L. Smith
- Robert Venable
- Robin Finck
- Roni Size
- Ross Fish
- Sacha Skarbek
- Santaflow
- Scott Chesak
- Scott Jacoby
- Sean P. Jones
- Simon Climie
- Stan Greene
- Stefano Lentini
- Sterling Winfield
- The Black Keys
- The Glitch Mob
- The National
- The Wildcardz
- Thomas Warren
- Tom Elmhirst
- Tom Lord-Alge
- Tony Maserati
- UNIFONY
- Weval
- X:144