The National have shared a new single from their forthcoming album, First Two Pages of Frankenstein. ‘Your Mind Is Not Your Friend’ features vocals from Phoebe Bridgers, harmonising with frontman Matt Berninger on its refrains.
The new single arrives alongside a video that’s quite the family affair. It was directed by Jackson Bridgers (Phoebe’s brother) and stars Tom Berninger (Matt’s brother), who featured prominently in the 2013 meta-documentary about the band, Mistaken for Strangers. Watch that below.
The National – ‘Your Mind Is Not Your Friend’ (feat. Phoebe Bridgers)
In a statement, Matt Berninger explained that the new single emerged during a period of writer’s block, which he partially overcame thanks to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, as the album’s title alludes to.
“When I feel stuck, I’ll often grab a book off the shelf just to get some words in my head, and the first two pages of Frankenstein ended up triggering ‘Your Mind Is Not Your Friend,'” Berninger said. “The book starts off with the narrator on a voyage near the Arctic Circle, and that image of being adrift helped me to write about feeling disconnected and lost and lacking in purpose. Once I started confronting that strange, blurry panic of not having ideas, everything began to crack open a bit.”
‘Your Mind Is Not Your Friend’ is the fourth and final single The National have shared from First Two Pages of Frankenstein ahead of its arrival on Friday, 28th April. The band announced the album back in January alongside lead single ‘Tropic Morning News’, with ‘New Order T-Shirt’ and ‘Eucalyptus’ arriving in February and March respectively.
‘Your Mind Is Not Your Friend’ is one of two songs on First Two Pages of Frankenstein that Bridgers features on. The album also includes guest appearances from Taylor Swift – whose albums Folklore and Evermore feature production and songwriting from The National’s Aaron Dessner – and Sufjan Stevens.
Further Reading
The National Announce New Album Featuring Taylor Swift, Phoebe Bridgers and Sufjan Stevens
Phoebe Bridgers Review – Disarming Melancholy and Gleeful Rebellion in Melbourne
Phoebe Bridgers Presents Taylor Swift with 2023 iHeartRadio Innovator Award
