Taylor Swift’s collaboration with Aaron Dessner, frontman of the band The National, has led to an unexpected crossover of fanbases. According to a recent interview with NME, Matt Berninger says Swifties are attending The National shows and often appear “bewildered by the first 25 minutes or so.”
The crossover of fanbases stems from Taylor Swift’s collaboration with Aaron Dessner, a core member of The National. Dessner’s work with Swift on albums like Folklore and Evermore has not only earned critical acclaim but also brought Swifties’ attention to The National. On Folklore, which won Album of the Year at the 2021 Grammy Awards, Dessner co-wrote and produced “Cardigan,” “The Last Great American Dynasty,” and “Exile” featuring Bon Iver.
Taylor Swift has mentioned in interviews that she’s been a fan of The National’s music for years. Their melancholic and introspective style inspired some of the themes and musical textures on Folklore and Evermore. Swift and Dessner also performed together during the “Long Pond Studio Sessions,” a Disney+ special where they played and discussed the making of Folklore.
Berninger described the impact of this collaboration as, “A really, really fruitful thing for our whole band, not just Aaron,” according to Consequence Sound.
The band is currently on their Zen Diagram Tour with The War on Drugs, offering plenty of opportunities for both longtime fans and new Swiftie attendees to experience their live performances. The tour will resume here in the US this September after a series of European dates.
The National’s expanding fanbase draws attention to the power of collaboration between artists in the music industry.
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