Matt Berninger Employs U-47 For His Visceral Vocals
Pictured is Matt Berninger recording vocals for the new album “Trouble Will Find Me” with the TELEFUNKEN U-47 tube microphone. Photo by David Goggin.
Los Angeles, CA, May, 2013 — Top indie band The National has completed their sixth studio album, “Trouble Will find Me.” Lead singer and founder Matt Berninger picked a new U-47 large diaphragm tube microphone from TELEFUNKEN Elektroakustik for his self-described “immediate and visceral” vocals.
“The vocals are key to the maximum impact of our music,” remarked Berninger. “And we couldn’t be more impressed with the new U-47 from TELEFUNKEN. It delivers depth, warmth, clarity and a pure sound that is inspiring to record with.”
The new album follows 2010’s critical and commercial success “High Violet.” Berninger says “Trouble Will Find Me” has a directness, a coherency, and an intimacy that comes from the band’s deep belief in the new material.
Watch a music video of “Demons” from the new album at:
In advance of the album release, the documentary “Mistaken For Strangers” will premiere at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival in NYC as the festival opener on April 17. The film, directed by Tom Berninger, follows The National on its biggest tour to date. Newbie roadie Tom (lead singer Matt Berninger’s younger brother) appears as a heavy metal and horror movie enthusiast, while his moonlighting as an irreverent documentarian creates drama on the road. The film is a look at two very different brothers and a story of their artistic aspirations.
The National was formed in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1999, and is currently based in Brooklyn, New York. The band’s lyrics, which have been described as dark and melancholy are written and sung by Matt Berninger, a baritone. The rest of the band is composed of two pairs of brothers: twins Aaron (guitar and keyboard) and Bryce Dessner (guitar) and Scott (bass) and Bryan Devendorf (drums).
The band’s first album was the eponymous “The National” (2001), followed by “Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers” (2003), “Cheer Tree” (EP, 2004), “Alligator” (2005), “Boxer” (2007), “Dark Was the Night” (2009), and “High Violet” (2010). They have also recorded songs for “Game of Thrones” and Boardwalk Empire,” among others.
“Trouble Will find Me” will be released May 21 on 4AD Records.
Learn more about The National at their website: http://www.americanmary.com/
Since its original development in 1946, the TELEFUNKEN U 47 has been the microphone of choice for generations of recording professionals. The first condenser microphone to offer selectable polar patterns (cardioid and omni), the U47 brought a new level of fidelity to the audio world, and is still considered to be one of the finest microphones ever produced. The new U47 from TELEFUNKEN Elektroakustik, houses a new BV8 output transformer and new VF-14k vacuum tube, a “plug and play” replacement for the rare VF-14M tubes found in the original