The National’s Bryan Devendorf wants band’s new album to be “stripped back and minimalist, like IDLES”

"I want to make something that’s fun to play and organic"

The National‘s drummer Bryan Devendorf has revealed that he wants the band’s next album to be a “stripped-back rock record” in a similar vein to IDLES.

Devendorf was speaking to NME about his surprise new record, released last Friday under the name Royal Green, when we asked him about progress on the band’s follow-up to their acclaimed 2019 album ‘I Am Easy To Find’.

“I think it’s back to the drawing board,” he replied. “We’re starting from the bottom of the mountain. Personally, I’ve always wanted to strip it back and do minimalist stuff like IDLES – they’re one of our new favourites. I love their production and their music.

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“I want to make something that’s fun to play and organic. A lot of the time we get caught up in layering and stuff. But yeah, the elusive, stripped-back rock record – let’s hope we can make it!”

The National live at Brighton Centre.
The National live at Brighton Centre. Credit: Burak Cingi/Redferns

Frontman Matt Berninger has often praised Bristol punks IDLES on social media, with members of The National also appearing on the band’s DUMB AND DRUMBER pub quiz series on YouTube earlier this year.

Speaking to NME last year, Berninger said that the band had some “rockier” songs that they might “get out of the freezer” for their next record. He later told us he and his brother Tom were also working on a sequel to the acclaimed film Mistaken For Strangers, as well as a TV show.

After co-writing and producing 11 of the 16 songs on Taylor Swift’s latest acclaimed album ‘Folklore’, The National guitarist Aaron Dessner has been teasing new material from his other project Big Red Machine – which also saw him release the single ‘No Time For Love Like Now’ with R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe earlier this summer. Frontman Matt Berninger, meanwhile, will release his debut solo album ‘Serpentine Prison‘ later this autumn.

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The National will play two dates at London’s O2 Academy in Brixton next summer as part of a rescheduled European tour.

 

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