Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Matt lifts veil on marriage
New album Sleep well Beast highlights the challenges to a life of wedded bliss
Let’s take a minute for all the poor souls who don’t have a ticket to see The National. Like countless Irish fans I’m praying to all the Gods that a ticket will miraculously appear before me for one of their upcoming gigs in Vicar Street.
The US rockers are back, armed with an arsenal of stone cold stompers from their latest offering, Sleep well Beast.
Ohio natives Matt Berninger, brothers Aaron and Bryce Dessner and brothers Scott and Bryan Devendorf have become our adopted sons since exploding on to the Irish gig scene in 2005 with their third album, Alligator.
Cut to 12 years later and The National have grown out of their cult following to become bone fide rock stars selling out arenas and rubbing shoulders with Obama.
The indie rockers are even eyeing their first ever UK Number 1 today on the Official Albums Chart.
The band’s seventh album is on track to claim the top spot this week, which would beat their previous best of Number
3 with 2013’s Trouble Will Find Me. Famed for their dark, broody, heartbreaking cerebral rock music, frontman Matt told NME that Sleep well Beast (above) is no different and this time he focuses on marriages.
“It’s about marriage, and it’s about marriages falling apart.
“I’m happily married, and but it’s hard, marriage is hard and my wife and I are writing the lyrics together about our own struggles and it’s difficult to write, but it’s saving my marriage.
“Not saving my marriage, my marriage is healthy, but it’s good for everything.
“And so it’s gonna be a strange record, and I’m crazy about it.”
Such is their selling power, tickets for their three Irish dates, which kick off at the Cork Opera House tomorrow night, were snapped up in minutes last May. The gig is part of Cork’s Songs From a Safe Harbour festival, which guitarist Bryce is involved in. The band are then in Dublin for two shows at Vicar Street on September 17 and 18.
For those still scrambling for a golden ticket, start chanting those Novenas but also beware of buying resale tickets as the original ticket holder will be required to bring photo ID on the night.