The National Quotes
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When we learned to play in bands, what we were covering was equal part the Velvet Underground and the Grateful Dead. That would defy the logic that somehow these things don't fit in the same musical well.
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We always say that National songs have to have a heart, that we don't make cold songs.
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I watched R.E.M. connect with the back row of a 50,000-seat venue.
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When it comes to lyrics, I just write down a lot of things, and only a very tiny fraction of it, I think, is any good.
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I came from a classical background, and I was teaching and earning a living out of music at a certain level, so it's funny to make it as a rock star when we're 40 or whatever.
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When I'm writing instrumental music, I try to find musical and non-musical inspirations.
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Sometimes you have to wear what you want.
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For a composer of concert music, 40 is actually very young. But for a rock musician, 40 is almost past due, where you think of rock music as really part of more youth-oriented culture.
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A suit is a sign of respect.
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I love to make songs out of some of those shadows - you know, some of the things you lie awake thinking about, social anxieties and romantic insecurities and all that stuff.
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There are all kind of corners of the musical world that are deeply influenced by the Dead that one wouldn't expect. Lee Ranaldo is a crazy Deadhead.
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As a band gets more successful, there's a danger of falling in love with your own shadow.
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I think that becoming a successful rock band is a little like becoming a professional athlete. Nobody plans on it.
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My main professional experience is touring in a rock band.
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We all contribute to The National, and it's like a familiar family. Matt is dad, Brian's like the dark horse uncle, Scott's the long-suffering mum, and Aaron and I are the bratty twins.
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People will dig their heels in and fight for the things they love and against the things they hate.
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In terms of identity, I'm the same person no matter what I'm doing.
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It doesn't necessarily take four years to write a good piece of music. It might take four hours. It just depends on when your inspiration comes.
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Me, who's educated classically, I went toward rock music 'cause it was sort of a natural evolution from where I was playing with my brother. But I was always drawn back into classical music.
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I've got this diverse education, growing up in classical music and existing between that and music that is more visceral, so for sure, I've always been interested in music from other cultures.
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I can't just play in a rock band. The National is a great, exciting band to play in. We improvise a lot onstage, and it's very intense, but after a while, I crave other kinds of experiences.
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Lyrics need to be good, but they don't need to be obvious right away.
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The same song can have drastically different feels and personalities just by changing some minor things. A different drumbeat or some vocal overdub could completely transform the song.
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When working with classical musicians, it is important to be clear as possible in the score about what my intentions are. Because there isn't a lot of rehearsal time, especially at the ballet, it's best if everything is written in the score.