The National have given fans a special preview of their new album, performing most of it live with special guests in Los Angeles over the weekend.
In just a few weeks, The National will unleash their eighth studio album, I Am Easy To Find. First announced early last month, the new record comes just 18 months after the release of 2017’s Sleep Well Beast.
With just a few weeks until we get our hands on it, The National have been getting stuck into promotional performances, taking their ‘A Special Evening With The National’ concerts to England, Canada, and America.
On Friday night though, the group took their special event to Los Angeles’ Orpheum Theatre, where fans received a preview of the new record, along with a few classic tracks.
Check out The National’s ‘Hey Rosey (feat. Feist)’:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1z8_SMO874
Performing 13 of the 16 tracks on I Am Easy To Find, The National teamed up with the likes of Feist for ‘You Had Your Soul With You’, ‘Hey Rosey’, ‘Hairpin Turns’, and ‘Not In Kansas’, while Phoebe Bridgers joined the band for ‘Where Is Her Head’ and ‘Rylan’.
According to Pitchfork, Kate Stables and Mina Tindle performed their respective parts on the album, while Arcade Fire’s Richard Reed Parry guested on a special version of ‘Bloodbuzz Ohio’.
In addition to this unique performance, the group also screened their new Mike Mills-directed film, also titled I Am Easy To Find, with a Q&A session from actress Alicia Vikander and Carrie Brownstein of Sleater-Kinney and Portlandia fame.
While The National’s new album is set for release on May 17th, there’s no word yet as to when they’ll be returning to Aussie shores for the accompanying tour.
Considering they were only here last March, we can’t expect too much from them yet, but local fans are undoubtedly keen to hear these new songs in the live setting, so let’s start holding out hope that they’ll return sooner rather than later.
Check out The National’s ‘Where Is Her Head (feat. Phoebe Bridgers)’:
The National @ Los Angeles, California 26/4/19 Setlist
‘You Had Your Soul With You’ (with Feist)
‘Quiet Light’
‘Roman Holiday’
‘Oblivions’
‘The Pull Of You’
‘Hey Rosey’ (with Feist)
‘I Am Easy To Find’
‘Where Is Her Head’ (with Phoebe Bridgers)
‘So Far, So Fast’
‘Hairpin Turns’ (with Feist)
‘Rylan’ (with Phoebe Bridgers)
‘Light Years’
Encore:
‘Not In Kansas’ (with Feist)
‘The System Only Dreams In Total Darkness’
‘Bloodbuzz Ohio’ (with Richard Reed Parry)
‘I Need My Girl’
‘Fake Empire’
