Richard sings(!) on the new The National album

You heard me people. Richard Reed Parry from Arcade Fire contributed heavily to the new The National album High Violet, out May 11 on 4AD. The Quietus got to chat with The National's Aaron Dessner and this is what he had to say about it.

"Richie Reed Parry from Arcade Fire is all over the record, I think he’s on six or seven songs. He played guitar and stand-up bass on ‘Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks’, and the big thing he did was that he heard me working on the music for ‘Conversation 16’, and he said, “I have an idea!” So he went in and sang – his father is a choir director so he knows multi-part singing – he sang this seven-part vocal, it’s all him layered. That’s beautiful. He’s this very lovely, unassuming person – when you see someone’s musicality inserted into the room, you’re like, “woah!” And that was great – he was just staying at my house, it wasn’t like we planned to work on it like that.

The Quietus: The National Reveal High Violet Collaborators

I mean, I was super excited about High Violet before. But now... Wow! The National are easily the band I like the most after that Montreal band and the new single Bloodbuzz Ohio is nothing short of sensational.