Inside the National Singer Matt Berninger’s Quirky New Side Project, EL VY
While Matt Berninger is best known for his role as the baritone frontman in the National, he’s revealed a different side of himself in EL VY, a new side project featuring Ramona Falls’ Brent Knopf, formerly of Menomena. The idea of a side project has been in the works since the pair met in 2003. With their main bands taking them on tour all over the world, Berninger and Knopf weren’t sure their collaborations would ever see the light of day. “There are times it went onto the back burner and stayed there for a long time because of all the other stuff we were both doing,” says Berninger of EL VY. “We had this window, and we dove in with both feet and finished it.”
While National fans know of Berninger’s penchant for dark storytelling and fondness for his home state of Ohio, EL VY proves to be a trip down memory lane for him, filled with lush melodies and at times raunchy lyrics. Berninger and Knopf created characters inspired by We Jam Econo, the 2005 documentary about Eighties punk heroes the Minutemen. Leading up to the October 30th release of Return to the Moon, EL VY’s debut, the duo sat down to talk about twisted lyrics, the influence of the Cincinnati music scene and how a folder called “The Moon” started it all.
A collaboration between you two has been in the works for years. Why was this the year for it to come to fruition?
Berninger: Honestly, we finally had time. After the National finished touring for Trouble Will Find Me, we all decided to take an extra break before diving into a new record. We used to take a month break, but this time, we took a longer one. We wanted to get back to life a little bit. It opened up a window to finish this thing that Brent and I were tinkering with for a long time. We didn’t even know if we were going to make a record — we assumed that’s where it [would] possibly lead. There wasn’t a plan when or even if it had to happen.
Did you two meet through music? Or was it through something else?
Knopf: We met through music. We just looked it up. In 2003, the National and Menomena played a show together. We hung out that night. It wasn’t until a few years later that we went on tour together, and we became friends. Actually, Danny [Seim] from Menomena and Brian [Devendorf] of the National are in a band called Pfarmers together.
Berninger: For a while we’d tell each other that we’ve known each other for eight years, but we realized it’s been longer: It’s been 12 years.