Their first five albums didnt just wade into heartache, they swam in it.
And with The Nationals Aaron Dessner behind the sound board, its also their smoothest.
The Nationals Aaron Dessner produced this album.
Credit: Dan Massie
Did you guys keep in touch after touring together a few years ago?
[Laughs]
S.H.
:: Theyre quiet, private people, and we appreciated that.
But then a guy bumped into Aaron and he was kind of looking for things to do.
Did that evolve naturally?
:It was like sending your kid off to college, or something.
When something starts off that way, it is a process of letting people in, gradually.
I really believe the only thing that fully opened that up is time.
Dark emotions certainly arent new topics for you guys.
When people meet your, do they expect you to be total downers?
:Or they expect you to solve their problems.
[Laughs]
S.H.
:There have been people whove been like, I lost my significant other and then you were there.
I find that to be the wonderful part of what we do.
What role does songwriting play in your life?
:Ive always felt that its about putting a neat frame around a messy picture.
Do you have a line of Thats too personal, I cant share that?
But I think you cant draw that line, because then youre editing yourself where you shouldnt be.
Youre playing a mix of enormous festivals and smaller rooms on this tour.
Do you want to always be filling bigger and bigger venues?
:Everyone thinks about things like selling out Madison Square Garden, but then the trick becomes maintaining intimacy.
The goal now is to just have this always be our job.
Its not a given that youre allowed a sustainable career in music.
See a full list of tour dates below.
