Dark Was the Night produced

On February 17, 2009, a compilation album titled Dark Was the Night was produced by Aaron and Bryce Dessner and released by 4AD (the band’s new label after Beggars Banquet Records merged into 4AD). The two-disc, 31-track compilation was released for the benefit of the Red Hot Organization , and featured a new song by the National and Nico Muhly titled “So Far Around the Bend”. In the same year, the National collaborated with St. Vincent to contribute a cover of Crooked Fingers ‘ “Sleep All Summer” to the Merge Records compilation Score! 20 Years of Merge Records: The Covers! . On May 6, 2009, the National performed “So Far Around the Bend” on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon . The National contributed a track to Ciao My Shining Star: The Songs of Mark Mulcahy in September 2009, an album in support of the former Polaris front-man, who lost his wife. They covered the Polaris track “Ashamed of the Story I Told”, from their album Music from The Adventures of Pete & Pete .