In both his solo work and as leader of Grammy-winning outfit the National, Matt Berninger is a singer and songwriter recognized for his deep baritone, brooding delivery, and contemplative, literate lyrics. Berninger rose to fame early in the 2000s with a mixture of alternative country-rock, Americana, and chamber pop as well as post-punk. Merging these sounds into moody, crafted indie rock, their earliest albums won a dedicated fan base and critical praise before they charted with their fourth LP, 2007's Boxer, which embraced a more expansive, orchestral sound. The National catapulted into the Top Three in multiple countries with 2010's High Violet, and 2017's Sleep Well Beast made Berninger and his bandmates Grammy winners. In 2020, Berninger released his solo debut, the ruminative Serpentine Prison. The National remained a Top 20 act in their third decade, while Berninger continued his solo explorations with the warmer Get Sunk in 2025.