With a decade of music-making under their belts, The National stand ready for another round of introductions. With each subsequent release, the band has garnered a wider fan base and louder critical praise. Upon the release of their new album High Violet, the band should be prepared for its most overwhelming ovation yet.

The National is a band of New Yorkers transplanted from Cincinnati, Ohio: Matt Berninger, Aaron Dessner, Bryce Dessner, Bryan Devendorf, and Scott Devendorf. What each member of the band does is not that important, but what they do together seems increasingly more so.