Photo: Emma Viola Lilja
The National have dropped a surprise new single on Spotify. Check out 'Sunshine On My Back' below.
The band's first new material since 2013's incredible Trouble Will Find Me, 'Sunshine On My Back' is a dose of classic National - all richly-textured simmering melancholy. This track was recorded during the Trouble Will Find Me Sessions and is available for free if you download the film from VHX.
Of course, the centre-piece of the track is Matt Berninger's aching croon and poetic delivery, as he artfully pines: "Tina lies on the ground, she lies there forever, she likes the sound, and Tina loves the devil, Tina loves the violence of living in the country..."
Listen to 'Sunshine On My Back'
Speaking to Gigwise last year about progress on their next album, Berninger said: "We're talking about getting together, which won't be until about October, taking a little break and then getting together to try and write together in a room - which we've never done. We always work on little things and email back and forth. We have no idea whether it's going to work or not, but that's as far as we've got with the new record: trying to work out a plan and a different approach.
"That might fail miserably, but then we'll try it a different way."
When asked if the band had any idea or hopes on what their next record could sound like, Berninger said: "No, not really. Everybody's been talking about it and people have different ideas about what kind of record they want to make. But every time we all talk about that, it never helps anyone figure it out. It's never a very good creative catalyst to say 'I'm going to make this kind of record'. It's never been that helpful for me at least, let's just wait to see where things go organically and naturally.
