“I wanted to smell the cologne in the room…”
Matt Berninger speaks to James McNair.
Your initial idea was to make a covers album inspired by Willie Nelson’s Stardust. What is the appeal of that record for you? “It was such a part of my childhood. My parents didn’t have a lot of records, but they had about 10. A Judy Collins record, a Roberta Flack record, a Waylon Jennings record, Stardust and a handful of others. All those records, they were just on repeat, it felt like for years. Stardust, every time I hear it, there’s a glow. There’s a warmth inside. I feel safe and I feel like my whole life is ahead of me.”
When it came to Serpentine Prison, what did Booker T. Jones bring to the party?
“Well, when I sang on his record [2011’s The Road From Memphis], he was this sort of calm centre in this chaotic little tiny studio with people coming and going. He made me feel so comfortable. The National has never really let a music producer take the reins, but for this covers thing that I started doing, I really wanted a classic producer. We recorded a lot together, but he was the one who really thought we should start focusing more on the originals.”
Why was it time for a solo album?
“I didn’t intend to make a solo album. With Sleep Well Beast [in 2017], I started writing faster and editing less and being more reckless. I’ve been writing and writing and writing a lot for a long time. So, I had all these sketches and I didn’t want to start a new band. Then when I handed them over and started working with Booker, it developed into a real vision. And that’s when I was like, ‘OK, I guess it’s a solo record.’”
Are there any particular lyrical themes on the record, from your perspective?
“I am burnt out, and I think the record is a lot about feeling burnt out. And instead of just, like, chilling out, I made a whole other record about needing to chill out (laughs). I don’t actually know what the main theme is. I know it’s a lot about feeling repressed and depressed and exhausted and euphoric and hopeful.”
How did it differ from working with The National?
“The National is like a glacial lab… it’s like developing a vaccine (laughs). Whereas this was different. This was just everybody live in the room, trying to quickly get the best version we can of this song. We listened to Stardust a lot. I wanted that atmosphere. I wanted to smell the cologne in the room.”
So… any future plans for The National?
“No. We just did two records back to back. I think we needed a break for a while. But The National has always been in the best place when we don’t have any plans. That’s when things pop up. If we just don’t plan anything, all of a sudden, before we know it, a new record will be half-baked. But, until that happens, we’re kind of just chilling like everybody else.”