The National's Matt Berninger shares "Distant Axis" off upcoming solo album

The National’s Matt Berninger has shared the second single off his upcoming debut solo album Serpentine Prison, which comes out October 2 via Book Records. It’s called “Distant Axis,” and it’s got that trademark melancholic Matt Berninger songwriting style but over a more jangly, breezy, acoustic backdrop than we usually hear from The National. It was co-written with The Walkmen’s Walter Martin, and Matt says:

I met Walter Martin fifteen years ago when the National opened for Walkmen on a tour of shitty clubs in the American southeast. On that tour, I learned a lot about how to be in a band without ruining your life. I also learned a lot about Florida, Tennessee and Georgia.

Walt and I have stayed friends, and about three years ago we started passing ideas back and forth. Distant Axis started from a sketch Walt sent me named Savannah. I think it’s about falling out of touch with someone or something you once thought would be there forever.

Listen and watch the video (directed by Matt Berninger, Tom Berninger and Chris Sgroi) below…