Aaron Dessner

Sound

Aaron Dessner

Born 1976-04-23 · Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

Aaron Brooking Dessner is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as a founding member of the indie rock band The National, with whom he has recorded eight studio albums; a co-founder of the indie rock duo Big Red Machine, teaming with Bon Iver's Justin Vernon; and a collaborator on Taylor Swift's studio albums Folklore and Evermore, both of which contended for the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 2021 and 2022, respectively, with the former winning the accolade.

Acting credits

Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions poster
8.5

An intimate concert film, in which Taylor Swift performs each song from her album 'folklore' in order, as she reveals the meaning and the stories behind all 17 tracks for the very first time.

Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions

2020

FireAid Benefit Concert poster
8.5

Bringing together some of the top names in music and entertainment, both Intuit Dome and the Kia Forum will host FireAid on Thursday, January 30, to raise money for rebuilding communities devastated by wildfires and supporting efforts to prevent future fire disasters throughout Southern California.

FireAid Benefit Concert

2025

Buke & Gase poster
NR

In 2020, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, when tours were canceled and all live music went silent, one band refused to stay quiet. The musical duo Buke and Gase performs to the eerily empty, famed hall Basilica Hudson.

Buke & Gase

2023

The National: I Am Easy to Find, Live from New York's Beacon Theatre poster
9.3

The National performed at the New York's historic Beacon Theatre to present their 2019 album and short film project I Am Easy To Find. This concert documentary includes a complete performance of that album, as well as guest appearances from the Brooklyn Youth Chorus, Julien Baker, Mina Tindle, Kate Stables and the American Contemporary Music Ensemble.

The National: I Am Easy to Find, Live from New York's Beacon Theatre

2019

The National - Live at Bearsville Theater poster
NR

On March 4, 2023, The National performed an intimate show for 500 people at the Bearsville Theater in Woodstock, NY. There they debuted much of their new album First Two Pages of Frankenstein.

The National - Live at Bearsville Theater

2023

The National - 'High Violet' Live From Brooklyn Academy of Music poster
NR

Concert documentary of The National's performance at Brooklyn Academy of Music in 2010, interspersed with interview footage of the band.

The National - 'High Violet' Live From Brooklyn Academy of Music

2010

Really Good Rejects poster
NR

The muted tones of rubber bridge guitars have delighted listeners the world over- from Wilco to Taylor Swift’s Folklore. Modern-day luthier Reuben Cox demystifies his process of creating some of rock’s most sought-after guitars.

Really Good Rejects

2022

The National - Live at Primavera Sound Barcelona 2024 poster
NR

31/05/2024, Primavera Sound Barcelona

The National - Live at Primavera Sound Barcelona 2024

2024

A Lot of Sorrow poster
NR

Icelandic artist and musician Ragnar Kjartansson’s often intensely durational performance-based works manifest a rare synthesis of pathos and humor. A Lot of Sorrow is both a music video and an extended concert film, in which Brooklyn-based band the National performs its three-and-a-half minute ballad “Sorrow” on repeat for six hours. The band’s music and lyrics frequently conjure notions of romantic suffering and melancholy—themes common to Kjartansson’s emotive, theatrical work. As the hours pass and fatigue sets in, the musicians subtly alter their song; the original track is always recognizable but is also shown to be elastic and expressive rather than rigid. Kjartansson is sometimes visible in the role of roadie, offering water and food to the performers throughout the concert. Multiple camera angles grant the viewer access to both the perspective of the musicians and that of the audience, as the band and the crowd feed off each other’s energy with every repetition.

A Lot of Sorrow

2013

Death is Elsewhere poster
NR

In this seven-channel video installation, two pairs of identical twin musicians circle each other, playing the same endless song.

Death is Elsewhere

2019

The National - Live at El Castell Embruixat poster
NR

Concert at El Castell Embruixat, 03/05/2006

The National - Live at El Castell Embruixat

2005

The National - Guilty Party: Basilica Hudson poster
NR

An 80-minute film that features footage from the band’s 2017 show at Basilica Hudson in New York. The unique concert placed the band in the center of the venue, surrounded by fans, while they performed the entirety of their then-latest record, ‘Sleep Well Beast’.

The National - Guilty Party: Basilica Hudson

2017

The National - Live at Sydney Opera House poster
NR

Recorded on the forecourt of the Sydney Opera House on February 8th, 2014 with the assistance of Sydney Opera House Trust

The National - Live at Sydney Opera House

2014

The National - Live From Pukkelpop 2019 poster
NR

The National - Live From Pukkelpop 2019 (recorded August 18, 2019)

The National - Live From Pukkelpop 2019

2019

The National - Live At Montreux Jazz Festival poster
NR

Twenty-five years after their debut, The National continues to improve year after year, whether on record or on stage. While they are among the most important indie bands of this century, they have perhaps never been more popular than they are today. Their recent collaborations with Taylor Swift, who cites them as her favorite group, or with Phoebe Bridgers have allowed them to reach new audiences. Last year was one of the most important for the Cincinnati group, which released two LPs in quick succession and was voted group of the year by Forbes newspaper. Their immaculate discography now includes ten albums and as many reinventions of their signature sound, imbued with sometimes raw, sometimes sophisticated arrangements, and the sensual baritone voice of Matt Berninger. The National will perform for the third time in Montreux, after a concert at Miles Davis Hall in 2008 and at the Montreux Jazz Café in 2012.

The National - Live At Montreux Jazz Festival

2024

The National: Sounds from a Safe Harbour at Cork Opera House poster
NR

The National's indie rock has taken over the Cork Opera House. On stage, some of the most iconic songs, highlighting the tracks by Sleep Well Beast, Grammy winner for Best Alternative Music Album in 2017.

The National: Sounds from a Safe Harbour at Cork Opera House

2017

The National - Live From Ypsigrock 2019 poster
NR

The National headlined at Ypsigrock Festival in Castelbuono, Sicily, Italy in 2019. The concert was shared as part of the band's "Exciting Communal Event series", which launched with a stream of their show at Primavera Sound in summer 2018. The Ypsigrock Festival performance took place in association with The Independent, which hosted the festival's main stage.

The National - Live From Ypsigrock 2019

2019

A Skin, A Night poster
3.0

Journey into the creative process of Brooklyn indie rock band the National with this unique documentary. Filmmaker Vincent Moon's cameras follow the band as they make their fourth album, "Boxer," and work to diversify their sound. More than just a technical examination of the recording process, the film uncovers the mental and emotional challenges, collaborative highs and lows, and quest for fresh ideas that drive this -- or indeed any -- band.

A Skin, A Night

2008

The National - Live at Elbphilharmonie 2017 poster
7.0

The National played on October 21, 2017 in the Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg, Germany.

The National - Live at Elbphilharmonie 2017

2017

Mistaken for Strangers poster
7.2

Mistaken for Strangers follows The National on its biggest tour to date. Newbie roadie Tom (lead singer Matt Berninger’s younger brother) is a heavy metal and horror movie enthusiast, and can't help but put his own spin on the experience. Inevitably, Tom’s moonlighting as an irreverent documentarian creates some drama for the band on the road. The film is a hilarious and touching look at two very different brothers, and an entertaining story of artistic aspiration.

Mistaken for Strangers

2013