El Vy

Having crossed paths several times over the years, the two have finally come together to create a brand new project. It’s called El Vy – pronounced, as they explain, “like ‘hell pie’, or like the plural of Elvis”. It’s also a far cry from what either artist is normally known for – although that wasn’t the game plan when El Vy started.

“Brent and I never had a single conversation about what kind of record we wanted to make,” says Berninger. “Not even about a single song. I didn’t have a big plan to write about all these characters – especially not all of these people from Cincinnati – with these recurring narratives and storylines. Every time I go in to make a record, it comes out being a reflection of what was going on in my own life. I guess it all has something to do with that. My daughter was listening to the Grease soundtrack all the time, my family and I had moved to California, I was listening to the Minutemen and watching their documentary… it might all seem like just a series of events, but it all adds into how the record was shaped.”

El Vy’s debut album, Return To The Moon, incorporates elements of electronica, pop, funk, R&B and the greater indie rock spectrum; a fascinating genre hybrid that takes Berninger’s typically reserved and morose singing style into an entirely different stratosphere. Fans were introduced to the record with the song that serves as the title track, the lead single and the opening number. It’s a big ask to create something with all of these responsibilities in mind, but an unexpected outside influence set the wheels in motion for Berninger.

“I never thought about the song that was going to surprise people the most,” he says. “That song became the title track primarily on account of it being a great title. The reason that it was picked to open the record… I mean, it kind of gives you an idea of what the album is going to be, but it also comes back to my daughter being obsessed with Grease. That opens with a song called ‘Grease’, right? ‘Grease is the word’. It kind of sets up the tone during the title sequence of the movie. I think ‘Return To The Moon’ is that kind of thing. Movies used to bring you into the time and the place with these ornate music numbers, as opposed to being dropped in the middle of the ocean with Jason Bourne the second that the movie starts. I think ‘Return To The Moon’ is playing that role.”

Berninger and Knopf have only played live as El Vy a handful of times, including some acoustic radio sessions and a key performance on Conan, in which the duo were accompanied by a full band of three backing vocalists and a rhythm section. With tour dates imminent, a more excitable daydreamer might wonder if the project will make it to Australia – especially considering Berninger’s day job is booked to headline the massive Bluesfest in March. But he’s quick to burst the bubble on that happening – or indeed, any touring beyond what’s booked.

“We’re doing about 20 shows total, I think,” Berninger says. “We’re playing my favourite LA place, Brent’s favourite Portland place – these really small rooms, doing a really limited run. I think we’ve made it fairly clear from the outset that we don’t want another ‘band’, per se – it’s not going to be a fully fledged touring machine or anything of that nature. I feel like if we kept going beyond this, it would take away from the spirit and the fun of what this was to us. Besides everything else, I’m really excited to get back in and make the next National record. We’re in the middle of that at the moment and it’s pretty exciting.”

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the album for Berninger in particular is the fact this is the first full album he has ever sung on outside The National. It’s suggested that it must have taken something he was fully committed towards in order to make such a leap – and Berninger himself is inclined to agree.

“I don’t put something out in the world until I think it’s good,” he says. “That goes for The National, that goes for the documentary that my brother and my wife made [Mistaken For Strangers] – it goes for everything. This El Vy record – I mean, we had been toying around with the idea of making it for years. Neither of us had the time to really focus on it. We knew we weren’t going to put anything out until we were sure that it was awesome and that it was ready. I know it’s not going to be for everybody – I’m actually kind of excited by that. I know that The National tends to have very devoted fans, so I’m curious to see how they react in particular.”

[El Vy photo by Deidre O’Callaghan]