The National Have 30 ‘Sketches of Songs’ for Their Next Album

While the National frontman Matt Berninger only recently announced EL VY -- a new project with Menomena’s Brent Knopf -- his main gig is currently working on their seventh album. In an interview with NME, Berninger said the Cincinnati-hailing, Brooklyn-based indie-rockers already have 30 song sketches for their follow-up to 2013’s Trouble Will Find Me.

“We did a camp out retreat in New York a couple of months ago, and we’re having another one in L.A. in a few weeks,” the singer said. “We have 30 sketches of songs so far.”

Beringer also noted that his bandmate, guitarist Aaron Dessner, has temporarily named the songs after cities in upstate New York.

“Before, he’s named them after things like civil wars,” he said. “All the songs that turned into Trouble Will Find Me were named after children of our friends.”

When the National debuted their song, "Sunshine on My Back," earlier this year, bassist Scott Devendorf said the band wants to give their new material adequate time to "gestate and grow," and they hope to "get down to stuff properly" early next year.

We may still be a ways off from the arrival of the National’s next album, but EL VY will drop their debut, Return to the Moon, later this year. The duo have already shared the upcoming album’s lead-off track, “Return to the Moon (Political Song for Didi Bloome to Sing, With Crescendo).” They're also embarking on a North American tour that kicks off this November; find a complete list of stops right here.