The National reveals a wonderful, yet melancholic video for the song, “Light Years” a track from their upcoming album, I am Easy to Find out on May 17 via 4AD. Lyrics include, “You were waiting outside for me in the sun. Laying down to soak it all in before we had to run. I was always ten feet behind you from the start. Didn’t know you were gone till we were in the car. Oh, the glory of it all was lost on me. ‘Til I saw how hard it’d be to reach you. And I would always be light years, light years away from you.”
The video shows the uber talented, Alicia Vikander processing life against a black and white visual backdrop. The video is stunningly beautiful with its sweeping landscapes and dramatic start. Vikander appears solo, looking incredibly beautiful wearing white tights, light shorts and a sweater. She resembles a ballerina as she thrusts herself out of desolated spaces of isolation then into the arms of a relationship, motherhood, facing death of a loved one and more. The video ends with the glorious clouds in the sky overhead until we zero in on her exquisite profile. She is absorbing all of life and its amazing journey.
In 2015, Vikander had substantial roles in eight films. She was praised by critics for her portrayal of painter Gerda Wegener in Tom Hooper’s The Danish Girl, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, becoming the second Swedish actress to win this award.
Fans responded to the new video with positive feedback, including one small story, “The National is everything. The obscurity of the lyrics speak to the language of the soul. The harmonies are your barely beating heart. A small story: Matt threw a beach ball into the crowd at the last concert I attended. I caught it. When I was moving, my mother was Marie Kondo-ing about in my closet and almost threw it out. “What do you need a deflated beach ball for,” she said. Oh mother. This sparks joy like nothing else.”
The new album, I Am Easy To Find contains 16 brand new tracks and collaborations with Sharon Van Etten, Brooklyn Youth Chorus, Lisa Hannigan, Mina Tindle and more. Along with the album release, a 24-minute short film will also be released with film stars Academy Award winner Alicia Vakander from Ex-Machina. The short film was directed by Academy Award-nominated director Mike Mills, who is best known for his work on indie films Thumbsucker, Beginners, and 20th Century Women.
The National also released song from the new album titled “You Had Your Soul With You, ” featuring vocals from David Bowie collaborator Gail Ann Dorsey. The band is set for a world tour with support from Courtney Barnett and Alvvays in select cities. They will play in Belgium at the Pukkelpop Music Festival on August 16-18, 2019.
Band members, Matt Berninger and Scott Devendorf met in 1991 while attending the University of Cincinnati’s DAAP college of graphic design program, where they also met Mike Brewer, Casey Reas and Jeff Salem. They formed a band and performed for five years, and released one album, Ruther 3429. Later, Bryan, Bryce and Aaron joined Matt and Scott and The National was formed in 1999. Band members continued to work day jobs, while performing free Sunday night shows regularly at Lower East Side venue Luna Lounge.
In 2005, they left their day jobs after signing with Beggars Banquet Records and released Alligator an album which brought critical acclaim. Their albums, Boxer (2007) and High Violet (2010) also increased their exposure significantly. In 2013, they released, Trouble Will Find Me, which was nominated for Best Alternative Music Album at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards. In 2017, the album Sleep Well Beast won a Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album.
I Am Easy To Find Tracklisting
1. You Had Your Soul With You
2. Quiet Light
3. Roman Holiday
4. Oblivions
5. The Pull Of You
6. Hey Rosey
7. I Am Easy To Find
8. Her Father In The Pool
9. Where Is Her Head
10. Not In Kansas
11. So Far So Fast
12. Dust Swirls In Strange Light
13. Hairpin Turns
14. Rylan
15. Underwater
16. Light Years
The National Tour 2019 Dates:
4/16 – Paris, FR @ Olympia SOLD OUT
4/18 – London, UK @ Royal Festival Hall SOLD OUT
4/22 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre SOLD OUT
4/24 – Toronto, ON @ Roy Thomson Hall SOLD OUT
4/26 – Los Angeles, CA @ Orpheum Theatre SOLD OUT
6/11 – Philadelphia, PA @ Mann Center*
6/12 – Brooklyn, NY @ Prospect Park Bandshell*
6/15 – Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo
6/16 – Atlanta, GA @ Coca-Cola Roxy*
6/17 – St Augustine, FL @ St Augustine Amphitheatre*
6/19 – Washington, DC @ The Anthem*
6/20 – Portland, ME @ Thompson’s Point*
6/21 – Montreal, QC @ Place des Arts
6/22 – Hamilton, ON @ Pier 8**
6/24 – Columbus, OH @ Express Live*
6/25 – Ann Arbor, MI @ Hill Auditorium*
6/26 – Indianapolis, IN @ Lawn at White River*
6/28 – Chicago, IL @ Northerly Island**
7/10 – Manchester, UK @ Castlefield Bowl
7/12 – Madrid, ES @ Mad Cool Festival
7/13 – London, UK @ Hyde Park
7/15 – Frankfurt, DE @ Jahrhunderthalle
7/16 – Hamburg, DE @ Stadtpark
7/18 – Rättvik, SE @ Dalhalla
8/4 – Waterford, IE @ All Together Now
8/6 – Glasgow, UK @ Summer Nights at the Bandstand
8/7 – Glasgow, UK @ Summer Nights at the Bandstand
8/9 – Sicily, IT @ Ypsigrock
8/10 – Budapest, HU @ Sziget Festival
8/11 – Buftea, RO @ Summer Well
8/14 – Paredes de Coura, PT @ Paredes de Coura
8/16 – Hasselt, BE @ Pukkelpop
8/16 — 8/18 – Biddinghuizen, NL @ Lowlands
8/18 – Hasselt, BE @ Pukkelpop
8/28 – Vancouver, BC @ Deer Lake Park**
8/29 – Seattle, WA @ Marymoor Park**
8/30 – Portland, OR @ Edgefield**
9/1 – Stanford, CA @ Frost Amphitheater**
9/2 – Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre**
9/3 – Phoenix, AZ @ Comerica Theatre**
9/5 – Odgen, UT @ Ogden Amphitheater**
9/8 – Santa Fe, NM @ Santa Fe Opera House**
9/10 – Austin, TX @ 360 Amphitheatre**
9/11 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall**
11/25 – Warsaw, PL @ Torwar Hall
11/26 – Berlin, DE @ Columbiahalle
11/27 – Berlin, DE @ Columbiahalle
11/29 – Copenhagen, DK @ Royal Arena
12/1 – Bochum, DE @ Ruhrcongress
12/2 – Cologne, DE @ Palladium
12/3 – Zurich, SW @ Samsung Hall
12/4 – Munich, DE @ Zenith
12/5 – Stuttgart, DE @ Porsche Arena
*w/ Courtney Barnett
**w/ Alvvays
Photo Credit: Kalyn Oyer
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