The National Announce Sleep Well Beast, Share First Single & World Tour Dates

It’s official: The National are back with Sleep Well Beast, their seventh studio album. The record is due out on Sept. 8 via 4AD, and the band will tour the world in support of it.

Though key details of the new record made their way across the web on Wednesday, May 10, the band’s official announcement brings with it what is arguably the most important part of this exciting album cycle: our first sample of the music itself.

“The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness,” a phrase used prominently in The National’s first Sleep Well Beast tease, now reveals itself as the lead single’s title. The band shared a Casey Reas-directed video to accompany the track, which you can watch below.

The National play a pair of summer festivals before their world tour supporting Sleep Well Beast kicks off in Cork, Ireland, on Sept. 16. The extensive tour includes multi-night residencies in 10+ cities across Europe and the U.S., including Seattle and Chicago.

Ticket presale begins on Monday, May 15, followed by the public on-sale on Friday, May 19. Every ticket sold comes with a digital copy of Sleep Well Beast, to be delivered on the day of the album’s release. You can find more ticket info here.

Sleep Well Beast is now available for preorder in CD, digital and double LP formats. Aaron Dessner produced the record, with co-production from Bryce Dessner and Matt Berninger. It was recorded at Aaron Dessner’s Long Pond studio in Hudson Valley, N.Y., as well as Berlin, Paris and Los Angeles.

Watch the video for “The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness” above, and down below, find the Sleep Well Beast tracklist and album art, The National’s world tour dates and Paste Cloud audio from the band’s 2007 Daytrotter Session.

Sleep Well Beast Tracklist:
01. Nobody Else Will Be There
02. Day I Die
03. Walk It Back
04. The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness
05. Born to Beg
06. Turtleneck
07. Empire Line
08. I’ll Still Destroy You
09. Guilty Party
10. Carin at the Liquor Store
11. Dark Side of the Gym
12. Sleep Well Beast

Sleep Well Beast Album Art:

The National World Tour Dates:

June
21 – Glastonbury, U.K. @ Glastonbury Festival

August
12 – Copenhagen, Denmark @ HAVEN Festival

September
16 – Cork, Ireland @ Cork Opera House / Sounds From a Safe Harbour
17 – Dublin, Ireland @ Vicar Street
18 – Dublin, Ireland @ Vicar Street
20 – Edinburgh, U.K. @ Usher Hall
21 – Edinburgh, U.K. @ Usher Hall
22 – Manchester, U.K. @ O2 Apollo
23 – Manchester, U.K. @ O2 Apollo
25 – London, U.K. @ Eventim Hammersmith Apollo
26 – London, U.K. @ Eventim Hammersmith Apollo
27 – London, U.K. @ Eventim Hammersmith Apollo
28 – London, U.K. @ Eventim Hammersmith Apollo

October
05 – Boston, Mass. @ Wang Theatre
06 – New York, N.Y. @ Forest Hills Stadium
11 – Los Angeles, Calif. @ Hollywood Bowl
12 – San Diego, Calif. @ CalCoast Credit Union Open Air Theatre
14 – Berkeley, Calif. @ Greek Theatre
21 – Hamburg, Germany @ Elbphilharmonie
23 – Berlin, Germany @ Tempodrom
24 – Berlin, Germany @ Tempodrom
25 – Amsterdam, The Netherlands @ AFAS Live
28 – Lisbon, Portugal @ Coliseum
30 – Brussels, Belgium @ Bozar
31 – Brussels, Belgium @ Bozar

November
02-04 – Paris, France @ Pitchfork Paris
04 – Stockholm, Sweden @ Annexet
05 – Stockholm, Sweden @ Annexet
06 – Oslo, Norway @ Sentrum Scene
07 – Oslo, Norway @ Sentrum Scene
27 – Portland, Ore. @ Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
28 – Seattle, Wash. @ Paramount Theatre
29 – Seattle, Wash. @ Paramount Theatre

December
01 – Vancouver, British Columbia @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre
02 – Vancouver, British Columbia @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre
04 – Philadelphia, Pa. @ Verizon Hall
07 – Montreal, Quebec @ Metropolis
08 – Montreal, Quebec @ Metropolis
09 – Toronto, Ontario @ Sony Centre
10 – Hamilton Ontario @ Hamilton Place Theatre
12 – Chicago, Ill. @ Civic Opera House
13 – Chicago, Ill. @ Civic Opera House