Taylor Swift explains why The National are her favourite band
The National and Taylor Swift might occupy different realms of the music industry, but there is also a lot that binds them together. Fans of either artist will know that this connection began with Swift working alongside Aaron Dessner in the studio. In turn, this gave way to Dessner’s twin brother, Bryce, helping to produce the follow-up album for Swift. Duly, it should be no surprise that Taylor Swift loves The National dearly and counts them as her “favourite” band.
Notably, Taylor Swift first worked with Aaron Dessner on the 2020 project Folklore, which was such a success that it produced a spontaneous follow-up five months later in the shape of Evermore. Drawing on alt-rock, indie folk and chamber pop, Evermore is underpinned by the cottagecore spirit, and since its release, the project has been hailed amongst her finest works. As well as boasting takes from Bon Iver, Haim and The National, Evermore and its predecessor have been credited with starting Taylor Swift’s critical and commercial resurgence.
Speaking to Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1 in December 2020, only a few days after Evermore was released, Swift discussed how the album changed her creative process moving forward. She explained: “My world felt opened up creatively. There was a point that I got to as a writer who only wrote very diaristic songs that I felt it was unsustainable for my future moving forward. So what I felt after we put out Folklore was like, ‘oh wow, people are into this too, this thing that feels really good for my life and feels really good for my creativity… it feels good for them too?'”
For Evermore, Aaron and Bryce Dessner sent Swift instrumental recordings that they had initially created for The National. Eventually, one of the tapes would become the album’s third and final single, ‘Coney Island’. Swift and her boyfriend Joe Alwyn penned the lyrics, with the singer then re-recording the track with her vocals.
After listening to the rework, the Dessners felt that the song was stylistically related to The National. With that, they envisioned frontman Matt Berninger singing the words and drummer Bryan Devendorf also lending his talents. When Aaron Dessner told Berninger of their plans, he was reportedly “excited” at the prospect. Things came together seamlessly for the piece, and the Dessners got their wish. Berninger sang a verse, Bryan Devendorf was on the drums, Scott Devendorf played the bass and pocket piano, Aaron Dessner helmed the guitar, and Bryce Dessner aided with orchestration and production.
During the conversation with Zane Lowe, Swift detailed just why she admires The National so much. “I love the way they do that sort of down-beat, sometimes self-loathing, reflective, ‘cut down to the heart of the matter’ lyricism,” she said. Swift then explained how Berninger’s verse on ‘Coney Island’ came to be. “We had an idea that Matt could sound amazing on this, and that was the perspective I was coming from,” she added. “A male perspective of regret or guilt after a lifetime of a pattern of behaviour.”
Swift also revealed that she included a snippet of Berninger singing the words “happy birthday” in the track, as the release coincided with her 31st. “I knew I was going to release it on my birthday week,” she said. “I got my favourite lead singer of my favourite band to wish me a happy birthday.”
