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Oct 17, 2019 Phoebe Bridgers By Christopher Roberts

Matt Berninger of The National and Phoebe Bridgers recently teamed up for the new song, “Walking On a String,” which they performed in Netflix’s Between Two Ferns: The Movie. Now they have shared a studio version of the song via a black & white video featuring them recording it. Watch it below.

Berninger wrote “Walking On a String” in collaboration with his wife, writer Carin Besser, and musician Mike Brewer. The song was recorded at Sound City, CA with Walter Martin (guitar) and Matt Barrick (drums), both formerly of The Walkmen. Bridgers, Tony Berg, and Ethan Gruska all produced the song, which is out now via Dead Oceans. Tom Berninger and Chris Sgroi directed, shot, and edited the music video.

Scott Auckerman directed Between Two Ferns: The Movie, which stars Zach Galifianakis and is a spinoff of his web series Between Two Ferns, in which he conducts awkward interviews with celebrities (including then President Barack Obama). Galifianakis and Auckerman wrote the movie, which also features various celebrities playing themselves, including Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd, Gal Gadot, Hailee Steinfeld, Keanu Reeves, Bruce Willis, Benedict Cumberbatch, Matthew McConaughey, Brie Larson, Tessa Thompson, Rashida Jones, Jon Hamm, Peter Dinklage, Jason Schwartzman, Adam Scott, David Letterman, and several others. In one scene in the movie Berninger, Bridgers, and their band perform “Walking On a String” in a bar. Galifianakis shows up at the end of the music video.

The National released a new album, I Am Easy to Find, back in May via 4AD. It was our Album of the Week and you can stream it here. I Am Easy to Find is accompanied by a 24-minute short film also directed by Mike Mills and starring Oscar-winning Swedish actress Alicia Vikander.

Earlier this year Bridgers teamed up with Conor Oberst (of Bright Eyes) as the new band Better Oblivion Community Center and in January they surprise released their self-titled debut album via Dead Oceans. Bridgers released her debut album, Stranger in the Alps, back in September 2017 via Dead Oceans and then released a deluxe digital version in October 2018, also via Dead Oceans. Last year Bridgers also teamed up with fellow singer/songwriters Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus to form supergroup boygenius, whose self-titled debut EP was released in October via Matador.

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