The National’s Matt Berninger on Bringing ‘Frankenstein’ to Life, Working With ‘Gifted’ Taylor Swift, and Frontman Lessons From R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe
William Earl The National have long been one of indie rock’s most revered bands, and like many of their past albums, the songs from their recently released ninth outing, “First Two Pages of Frankenstein,” take on a life of their own onstage. The band — frontman Matt Berninger, guitarist brothers Aaron and Bryce Dessner, and bassist Scott Devendorf and drummer Bryan Devendorf, also brothers — are known for their intense live shows and are currently in the middle of a North American tour, and of course have received a wave of new fans thanks to their recent collaborations with Taylor Swift.