The National took to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to perform their new single ‘Tropic Morning News’ late last night (March 3) – check out the footage below.
READ MORE: The National on new music – “It’s the whole history of the band, but with a new exploration”
Earlier this year, The National confirmed details of their ninth studio album ‘First Two Pages Of Frankenstein’.
Set for release April 28, the album will feature collaborations with Taylor Swift, Phoebe Bridgers and Sufjan Stevens.
Alongside the album announce, the band also shared lead single ‘Tropic Morning News’ which they performed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon last night. Check it out below:
Co-written with frontman Matt Berninger’s wife Carin Besser, the track takes its title from a phrase Besser invented to describe the regrettably routine practice of doomscrolling.
“The idea of referring to the darkness of the news in such a light way unlocked something in me,” said Berninger. “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.”
In the same press release, Berninger admitted that writing for ‘First Two Pages Of Frankenstein’ stalled as he navigated “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.”
“We 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,” added guitarist/pianist Bryce Dessner.
Speaking to NME about new The National music last year, Bryce Dessner said: “What I can say is that we’re at a high watermark in terms of our creativity as a band. There’s a lot happening, and a lot of music. We’re allowing ourselves to dream about it, take risks, try things and give the songs time to develop.”
The National are set to tour the UK, Europe and North America later this year alongside the likes of Soccer Mommy, The Beths and Bartees Strange.
They’re also set to play a special show with Patti Smith on August 18 at New York’s Madison Square Garden. Check out the full list of dates here.
Tickets for the UK run of shows can be found here while North American tickets are available here.
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