One of my favorite bands, The National, have ventured out to interest children and bring them into the growing circle of The National fans. Lead singer Matt Berninger, Aaron and Bryce Dessner have all contributed to Dragon Brush, a new iPad story app for children. The Dessners contributed the musical score for the app, while Berninger lends his elegant baritone to narrate the story of a young boy named Bing-Wen. According to a press release, “after he is given a magical brush that makes drawings come to life, Bing-Wen must use his art and wits to outsmart the greedy Emperor.” Berninger wittily stated his personal interest in the project by acknowledging Dragon Brush having “all my favorite things: waterfalls, magical dragons, and the sound of my own voice.” As an accomplished band that produces music and lyrics surely too mature for the enjoyment of even the most cultured elementary school kids, it should be rewarding to see how young ones take to the newest venture from The National.
This isn’t the first side project of The National guys beyond creating flawless albums such as High Violet, Boxer and Alligator. An announcement was made in January that The National will be curating the All Tomorrow’s Parties 2012 music festival in Minehead, UK on December 7-9. They have already tapped the likes of Sharon Van Etten (whose stellar 2012 album, Tramp, was produced by Aaron Dessner), The Antlers, Owen Pallett, Boris, Megafaun, Lower Dens and more to join them for the weekend. In 2009, the Dessners also produced and compiled the Dark Was the Night double-album, which benefited the Red Hot Organization in its dedication for raising funding and awareness in the battle against HIV and AIDS.
Dragon Brush is suited for the iPad and was co-designed by John Solimine of Spike Press. Solimine also has a history of creating event posters for The National. Dragon Brush is now available on iTunes. Check out the video preview below.
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