The National are planning on recording a Grateful Dead covers album in collaborations with the likes of Vampire Weekend, Bon Iver and Kurt Vile. Relix reports that Aaron and Bryce Dessner have also recruited members from the likes of The War On Drugs and The Walkmen for the project and hope to con...
The National are planning on recording a Grateful Dead covers album in collaborations with the likes of Vampire Weekend, Bon Iver and Kurt Vile.
Relix reports that Aaron and Bryce Dessner have also recruited members from the likes of The War On Drugs and The Walkmen for the project and hope to convince more high-profile musicians to take part, too, including Sonic Youth guitarist Lee Ranaldo and Yo La Tengo’s Ira Kaplan.
Although no tracklisting or release date has been revealed for the LP yet, proceeds from the album will be given to the not-for-profit organisation Red Hot, which is focused on raising AIDS-awareness. Speaking about their plans for the record, Aaron Dessner said: “We’ve done a lot of work talking to various artists and laying the groundwork. It is kind of an ambitious project both because of the legacy and the material. We are obsessed enough with the Grateful Dead that it is kind of a monumental idea.”
Bryce Dessner added: “There are all kind of corners of the musical world that are deeply influenced by the Dead that one wouldn’t expect. Lee Ranaldo is a crazy Deadhead. So that was part of the idea but I think it is broader than that now. Jerry Garcia was a total cat.”
The National recently released their sixth album Trouble Will Find Me, which debuted at Number Three in both the UK and the US. They are set to tour the UK this November, when they will play shows in Belfast, Manchester and London as well as Dublin, Ireland.
The National will play:
Belfast Odyssey Arena (November 9)
Dublin O2 Arena (10)
Manchester O2 Apollo (11, 12)
London Alexandra Palace (13, 14)
