The National Announce New Album Featuring Taylor Swift, Sufjan Stevens, and Phoebe Bridgers

The National has announced their anticipated ninth album, First Two Pages of Frankenstein, due out April 28 via 4AD. On top of the album announcement, the band also confirmed a US headline tour in celebration of the release.

First Two Pages of Frankenstein was produced by the band at Long Pond Studio and features previous collaborators Taylor Swift, Phoebe Bridgers, and Sufjan Stevens. Talking about the album, lead singer Matt Berninger says that he went through “a very dark spot where I couldn’t come up with lyrics or melodies at all” . He went on to add, “Even though we’d always been anxious whenever we were working on a record, this was the first time it ever felt like maybe things really had come to an end”. Bryce Dessner added that the band “managed to come back together and approach everything from a different angle, and because of that we arrived at what feels like a new era for the band.”

“Tropic Morning News”, which Berninger co-wrote with his wife and regular collaborator Carin Besser, marks the first release from the album. “The idea of referring to the darkness of the news in such a light way unlocked something in me,” Matt says. “It became a song about having a hard time expressing yourself, and trying to connect with someone when the noise of the world is drowning out any potential for conversation.”

“When Matt came in with that song in the depths of his depression, it felt like a turning point for us,” explained Aaron Dessner. “It’s almost [Bob] Dylan-esque in its lyrics and it’s so much fun to play; everything suddenly felt like it was coming alive again.”

Listen to The National’s “Tropic Morning News” below

The National have also announced a tour, beginning in the US in May, which features Soccer Mommy and The Beths opening on select dates. The US leg ends with a big New York City show at Madison Square Garden on August 18th 2023 alongside Patti Smith.

The National tour dates

May 20 – Chicago, IL – Auditorium Theatre *
May 21 – Chicago, IL – Auditorium Theatre *
May 24 – Washington, DC – The Anthem *
May 26 – Boston, MA – Boston Calling Festival
May 28 – Napa, CA – Bottlerock Festival
May 30 – Los Angeles, CA – Greek Theatre *
June 2 – Troutdale, OR – McMenamins Edgefield *
June 3 – Troutdale, OR – McMenamins Edgefield *
June 4 – Redmond, WA – Marymoor Park *
June 5 – Burnaby, BC, Canada – Festival Lawn at Deer Lake Park *
August 1 – Philadelphia, PA – The Met Philadelphia ~
August 3 – New Haven, CT – Westville Music Bowl ~
August 7 – Detroit, MI – The Fillmore Detroit ~
August 8 – Madison, WI – The Sylvee ~
August 9 – Minneapolis, MN – The Armory ~
August 11 – Denver, CO – Mission Ballroom ~
August 15 – Nashville, TN – Ascend Amphitheater ~
August 16 – Atlanta, GA – Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park ~
August 18 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden #

Support:
* Soccer Mommy
~ The Beths
# Patti Smith and her Band

First Two Pages of Frankenstein Tracklist

1. Once Upon A Poolside (featuring Sufjan Stevens)
2. Eucalyptus
3. New Order T-Shirt
4. This Isn’t Helping (featuring Phoebe Bridgers)
5. Tropic Morning News
6. Alien
7. The Alcott (featuring Taylor Swift)
8. Grease In Your Hair
9. Ice Machines
10. Your Mind Is Not Your Friend (featuring Phoebe Bridgers)
11. Send For Me

You can pre-order or pre-save First Two Pages of Frankenstein as well as order tickets for The National’s upcoming tour by visiting their website here.