Serpentine Prison
Serpentine Prison is the debut solo studio album by Matt Berninger, lead singer and co-songwriter of The National, released on October 16, 2020.[1] It was produced by Booker T. Jones and released on Book’s Records, a new imprint of Concord Records formed by Berninger and Jones.[2]
Serpentine Prison
October 16, 2020
- Earthstar Creation Center (Venice, California)
- Knobworld (Los Angeles, CA)
- Silent Partner (Philadelphia, PA)
- Cecelia's (Brooklyn, NY)
- Long Pond (Hudson Valley, NY)
41:33
Book’s Records
Serpentine Prison was nominated for Best Recording Package at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards.[3] The album was designed and art directed by Dale Doyle at Holotype, and painted by Michael Carson.[4]
Background and recording[edit]
Berninger initially planned to release a covers album. Inspired by Willie Nelson's 1978 covers album Stardust, which was produced by Booker T. Jones, Berninger contacted Jones for assistance in making his own covers album. Berninger provided Jones with demos of covers and original songs, and eventually decided on an originals album.[5][6] Four of the covers they recorded were released on the album's deluxe edition.[7]
Serpentine Prison was recorded at Earthstar Creation Center in Venice, California. Additional recording was completed at Knobworld in Los Angeles; Silent Partner in Philadelphia; Cecelia's in Brooklyn; and Long Pond in the Hudson Valley, New York. The album is dedicated to Berninger's grandmother Elaine and to his college professor Gordon Salchow.[8]
Release and promotion[edit]
Serpentine Prison was first announced by Berninger on Instagram on October 18, 2019, the day after he released his song "Walking on a String" featuring Phoebe Bridgers.[9] The album was officially announced on May 20, 2020, with a scheduled release date for October 2, 2020.[10] The album's title track was released the same day as a single.[11] "Distant Axis" was released as a single on July 17, 2020.[12] A third single, "One More Second", was released on September 10, 2020.[13] The album's release date was pushed back to October 16, 2020.[14] Berninger performed "One More Second" on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on October 22, 2020.[15]
A deluxe edition of the album, featuring four covers and two new original songs, was released digitally on March 12, 2021. The bonus tracks were previously only available on the limited-edition double vinyl issue of the album, which was released the same day as the standard edition. The four covers include The Velvet Underground's "European Son", Bettye Swann's "Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye", Morphine's "In Spite of Me", and Eddie Floyd's "Big Bird".[16]