Q&A: Bryce Dessner

Band: The National
Members: Matt Berninger, singer; Aaron Dessner, bass, guitar, keyboard; Bryce Dessner, guitar, keyboard; Bryan Devendorf, drums; Scott Devendorf, bass, guitar
Hometown: Brooklyn
Latest projects: New songs, "Exile Vilify" from the video Game Portal 2 and "Think You Can Wait" from the movie Win Win, respectively
Sounds like: Moody, orchestral indie pop
The web: www.americanmary.com, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube

It’s been three years since The National played its old hometown of Cincinnati, but the band is returning to close out the MusicNOW Festival, which is curated by band member Bryce Dessner.

Despite the large success that they have achieved both nationally and internationally, the band’s ties to the Queen City, still remain strong, Dessner tells us.

This is the sixth year for the MusicNow Festival. What’s the hardest part of putting it together?
Organizing the festival is not hard for me actually. It’s something I really look forward to every year and it’s done mostly in an organic way, just by keeping my ears open during the year and having conversations with artists I am interested in.  Sometimes it can be tricky to get everyone’s schedules to align so there is a bit of a balancing act when choosing the dates.

Over the years, I’ve noticed a spirit of collaboration, impromptu performances, and the return of artists who performed in previous years. How would you characterize the atmosphere of the festival, and how is it different from other projects that you’ve worked on?       
MusicNOW has developed an international reputation as a works-in-progress festival that features music in its early stages, often bringing together artists who have never performed together before and commissoning new compositions. We have kept the festival small and intimate for the benefit of both the artists and audiences, and it’s what allows us to take risks and present music that might not fit on a large media driven event. I like to think of MusicNow as a small boutique festival.

This year’s festival seems like a real family affair. The National already had two sets of brothers, but now Matt’s brother, Tom Berninger, is screening a documentary about the band, and your sister, Jess Dessner, has choreographed a dance piece in collaboration with Shara Worden’s performance. What’s it like working with and having so many family members around?
That’s true! I hadn’t thought of that yet, but yes, there is a lot of family this year, and it’s nice for all of us to come home to Cincinnati. It’s been three years since the National played in Cincinnati, so this will be a real homecoming for us! Really every year we do the festival, my brother and sister come and it’s a chance for us to spend time with our folks and to see old friends. It’s great that Bryan, Scott and Matt will also be there.

Rumor has it that Tom’s documentary “Summer Lovin’ Torture Party” is going to show a lighter side of the band? Additionally, you guys are known for having a darker sense of humor— any thoughts on that?
For years The National has been labeled as a gloomy kind of rock band...I think mostly because of Matt’s deep baritone voice, which even if he is singing about unicorns and butterflies, he just sounds sad most of the time. It’s like listening to a solo cello: It’s beautiful but a bit somber. So recently we have been allowing ourselves to lighten the mood bit and to show people how we actually are as people, which is not that serious—Matt especially.

Tom Berninger, Matt’s brother, filmed us all through the "High Violet" tour and was able to catch us off guard in our element and to show the lighter side of the band. To be honest, I haven’t seen the film yet, so it’s going to be as much a surprise for me as it will be for everyone else!

You’ve lived in New York for more than a decade now, but Ohio still comes up often in your lyrics. How did growing up in Ohio influence the artist you’ve become?
I think growing up in Ohio is a big part of who I am. It’s something that maybe is hard to pinpoint exactly in the music I make, or The National makes collectively, but it’s very much at the center of our identity. I think living in New York there is always a feeling that you don’t quite belong there, or that you will never measure up against all the history and culture of the city. If we think of having roots it’s very much in Cincinnati and in the relationships to family, teachers and friends. 

You’ve got a pretty busy schedule these days, besides visiting with friends and family, what is on your must-do list when you come back into town?
Graeters Ice Cream.....and there’s a trail in the woods we like to go running on. I always do that every morning I am home.

Apart from the festival, what projects are you working on? What is the band working on?
We have recently written two new songs, one for a great movie called Win Win and one for this awesome video game, Portal 2. And we are still touring a lot and will be headlining a bunch of festivals this summer in Europe. I have also been writing a lot of classical music this year and am working on a piece for my brother and I to play with an orchestra in New York next October.

Video for "Think You Can Wait" from "Win Win":