Scott Devendorf (The National)

I first heard The National 17 years ago this month I think, and I fell in love instantly. They’ve continued to be one of my favourite bands, and it’s been great to see them ascend to new heights of popularity and pursue interesting creative directions in the band and outside. Guitarist Aaron Dessner is now a key producer and co-writer for the likes of Taylor Swift and Gracie Abrams. His twin brother Bryce Dessner is a composer whose orchestral and chamber compositions have been commissioned by the LA Philharmonic, Edinburgh International Festival and Kronos Quartet amongst others, and he’s collaborated with the likes of Philip Glass, Steve Reich, Paul Simon, Sufjan Stevens and many more. Frontman Matt Berninger has become one of the most compelling rock frontman of the 21st century with his often darkly funny, self-deprecating lyrics, and gangly, physical stage presence. Drummer Bryan Devendorf is one of the most distinctive drummers operating in rock today. Which leaves my guest this episode, bassist Scott Devendorf. I feel like Scott is the member of the band I knew least about. Obviously I’ve seen him onstage many times anchoring the band, but I was intrigued to see how the interview would go, and was pleased to discover Scott was excellent company. The National have just released a new live album entitled “Rome” which was recorded this past June in, well Rome obviously. It does a pretty good job of capturing the catharsis and sometimes chaos of a National show. I thought it was an interesting decision to focus on one particular show rather than compile tracks from across the tour. I was curious how they would handle the situations where Matt goes walkabout with the microphone, climbing into the crowd and getting mobbed with fans singing their heads off. Scott had a lot to say about these decisions, and about The National as a live act in general. He was really generous with his time. I only found out this interview was happening less than 24 hours before it took place, so it was quite a whirlwind getting it prepped and organised. I again had some technical issues so I’ve mostly just used the zoom feed but it sounds fine. To have The National represented on the podcast really means a lot. This will be the last episode of the year, and what a way to go out.