The National's Matt Berninger announces debut album for new project EL VY

The band are a collaboration between The National frontman Matt Berninger and Brent Knopf (Menomena/Ramona Falls) and arrives after nearly a decade of friendship and shared ideas.

Berninger and Knopf first met nearly ten years ago when their bands were playing half-empty shows across the West coast of America.

Knopf explained how he "never worried about sending Matt something unfinished." Adding that "he's able to imagine where it can go. He can grab the four bars that will become the core of the track and develop them into something amazing."

The album was recorded at the end of 2014/Spring 2015 and Berninger said that "this record is more autobiographical than anything else I've written; but the details aren't true. It's written in the voices of a few invented characters, composites of different people - myself, my wife, and other people I was thinking about."

Earlier this year Pfarmers, featuring The National drummer Bryan Devendorf and Menomena's Danny Seim, released their splendid debut album, Gunnera.

Return To The Moon is released via 4AD.

The band have also announced a show at London's Electric Ballroom on December 10th.

Listen to the title track, "Return To The Moon" below.