Weird Goodbyes released

On August 22, 2022, the National released “Weird Goodbyes” as their first single in three years. The studio version of the song features Bon Iver , as well as strings performed by the London Contemporary Orchestra . In January 2023, the band started to share teases of a forthcoming announcement – including a password-protected passage from Frankenstein shared on their website, edited to include references to Swift, Phoebe Bridgers , and Sufjan Stevens. A week later, the band officially announced their ninth studio album, First Two Pages of Frankenstein , which was released on April 28. The news came with the release of its first single, “Tropic Morning News”. Bridgers, Swift and Stevens were also confirmed to feature on the album, as were the previously performed songs “Grease in Your Hair” and “Ice Machines”. Two singles, “Space Invader” and “Alphabet City”, were released on August 17, 2023. They were later included on the surprise album Laugh Track , which was announced three days before its release at Homecoming Festival in Cincinnati, Ohio, on September 15, 2023. A live double album titled Rome , recorded at the Auditorium Parco della Musica , was released on December 13, 2024.