It’s been a long time since these five young Americans, signed to a small, pioneering French label, were playing endless gigs in small venues. In just over fifteen years, The National has become a major American rock group, breaking through the Indie glass ceiling to reach a large audience, first across the Atlantic, then in Europe.
The path to success has been well marked and it’s the fruit of hard work and patience. Two noteworthy first albums, a third (Alligator) which earned them critical recognition, and a fourth (Boxer) that met with well-deserved success, confirmed and augmented thereafter with High Violet and Trouble Will Find Me. They owe this success to the rich writing of their songs, the striking poetry of their singer Matt Berninger’s lyrics, and also the incredible strength of their live performances. True stage animals, they have been known to perform more than two hundred times in one year, as comfortable in classical concert halls as in stadiums or open-air festivals. Matt Berninger's performances are still incredibly intense, and he often ends up plunging into the crowd and going walkabout through the audience.... With their sixth album (Sleep Well Beast) topping the charts, The National returns to the stage. An opportunity for us to film them in a particularly privileged setting.