Question 1

True or false: All five members of The National are cousins, not just friends.

Accepted Answer

False. The National has five members: twin brothers Aaron and Bryce Dessner, brothers Scott and Bryan Devendorf, and Matt Berninger. They are not all cousins; only the two sets of siblings are related by blood.

Question 2

True or false: The National's first album was self-titled and released in 2001 on Brassland Records.

Accepted Answer

True. Their debut, 'The National', came out in 2001 on their own label Brassland, founded with friends.

Question 3

True or false: Singer Matt Berninger worked in advertising before forming The National.

Accepted Answer

True. Berninger was a graphic designer in advertising before co-founding The National in 1999.

Question 4

True or false: The National’s drummer Bryan Devendorf is actually the younger brother of bassist Scott Devendorf.

Accepted Answer

True. Bryan and Scott are brothers—Bryan on drums, Scott on bass—a common but often unknown family tie in the band.

Question 5

True or false: The song 'Fake Empire' was used as the campaign theme for Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential run.

Accepted Answer

False. Obama used 'Fake Empire' at rallies without permission; the band later said they were flattered but didn’t endorse it officially.

Question 6

True or false: The National’s 2010 album 'High Violet' was recorded in a converted church in upstate New York.

Accepted Answer

True. The band recorded 'High Violet' at a former Methodist church in the Hudson Valley, giving it a unique acoustic character.

Question 7

True or false: The National once performed a full orchestral concert at the Sydney Opera House with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

Accepted Answer

True. In 2014, The National performed a special concert at the Sydney Opera House with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, playing orchestral arrangements of their songs.

Question 8

True or false: Matt Berninger co-wrote a song with Taylor Swift for her album 'Folklore'.

Accepted Answer

False. No such collaboration exists; the confusion may arise from Aaron Dessner’s work with Swift on 'Folklore', not Berninger.

The National Trivia Questions