The first time I ever heard The National, they were gracing the Ed Sullivan Theater’s stage at the end of a July 2007 episode of The Late Show with David Letterman where they played their then-new single “Fake Empire.” As it turns out, all these years later, Letterman and National frontman Matt Berninger have stayed friends, as made evident by a new video interview premiering this morning on the band’s YouTube page in which the retirement-bearded TV personality launches into questions about the band’s career and their music’s themes—ranging from depression to hornets—over what appears to be a concerning amount of coffee.
Premiering at 10 a.m. PT, the half-hour clip has just wrapped up at the time of writing this, and continues to be available to watch on YouTube. Check it out below, and catch The National on tour in 2024 at the dates listed here.
