Nicht noch eine "The" - Band?!
"Sad Songs For Dirty Lovers" is the second full length Album. Has there been some other singles or something like that?
Matt: In the UK there was a single, "slipping husband", but I think that was only available in UK
Before the out coming of the first Album "The National", you have played no live concerts with the band. Why this?
When we made the first record we hadn't played live, that's right. It was not really a choice, the band was kind of forming itself within recording the Album. Not many heard the Album, but they who heard loved it very much. They started to talk about it as an underground legend record, we didn't expect that. I am wandering if the new album will reach to the expectations. But I think it's good, we love it.
The Album was recorded in seven different Studios? Why?
It was not because of being unhappy, it came this way. Mostly it was home recording at a friend, and many others had there their own studios. We followed the song around to different studios of different friends. Later we decided for a studio in Manhattan, and it ended up taking everything to Connecticut to mix it finally.
What is the difference between the first and the second album?
The first has no screaming, it is more American. On the second one, there is more stuff going on, trying new types of songs. It has more variety in the types of songs, we have computers, and some live sound, too. One the first everything is more harmonic. At "Sad Songs For Dirty Lovers", we found our selves, it is moving forward.
What are musical influences?
We all listen to very different music. I am just the singer, you know. My favourites are the smiths, violent femmes, and also nick cave is something I love. The others listen to classical, or punk, very different. The music scene of New York is not such an influence. There are hundred of bands in New York, there even is no real scene, I don't know if for example "The Strokes" even know all others.
How was the concert in Munich? Different people there?
Shows in Germany are very good, not much know about us. Everywhere we have been, there were 50 people, but we had an enthusiastic audience. People we have met, know often more about the music in the USA than we.
Bryce plays also in another band? What is the difference?
It is very different from "The National". It is more modern post classical music, with little vocals, viola, drums. Lot of the things are very interesting. It is starting to become more similar to our band, but it is still a very different kind of music.
Is there a moving towards an final idea of your music?
A good question, but very hard. We have been writing new songs, we have enough material for a new Album, but it can change in the studio. We don't think off approach before songs get down, we follow the song, sometimes you can tell, sometimes not. Definitely we are exited in discovering new things even if people like it how it is, we do not want to get bored.
What about the name "The National" for a band?
The reason for the "the" is that, when we first started, there was a metal band, named "national" so we took the "the". A reason for the using of this "the" may be that there is a time where people look back at "The Who", "The Beatles" and so on. I think often, there has been more attention to the "the" than to their sounds. The word "national" is a generic word in the USA. Every organisation, has it in its name. "The National…" and so on. You see it everywhere. It is sort of meaningless and neutral. It has never the negative meaning than in Europe!
What about your favourite B-Side?
Matt: There is a rooster on the cover but, I really do not know what song it was or even the band.
Maggi Wilhelms