A bad case of depression and writer’s block may have slowed down the project, but it’s been well worth the wait. The National have announced their upcoming new album, First Two Pages of Frankenstein, and shared the lead single, “Tropic Morning News.” The track was co-written by lead singer Matt Berninger and his wife, Carin Besser.
Berninger shares, “[I was in] a very dark spot where I couldn’t come up with lyrics or melodies at all. 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.”
Referring to the song lyrics, he offered, “The idea of referring to the darkness of the news in such a light way unlocked something in me,” he shared in a statement. “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.”
Bandmate Aaron Dessner added, “When Matt came in with that song in the depths of his depression, it felt like a turning point for us. It’s almost Dylan-esque in its lyrics and it’s so much fun to play; everything suddenly felt like it was coming alive again.”
The new album is set for release April 24th from 4AD and features guest appearances from Taylor Swift, Sufjan Stevens, and Phoebe Bridgers.
