Watch The National perform new track ‘Prom Song 13th Century’ with help from St. Vincent

‘I’m gonna keep you in love with me for a while’

We’re expecting a new The National album any week now, and the band are starting to play tracks from it at shows.

They debuted ‘Prom Song 13th Century (Frankie & Johnny)' at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles last night, with a little help from St. Vincent.

The performance is a bit ragged, with Annie reading from a lyric sheet, but you can tell this is definitely a very pretty song, and I’m already in love with the guitar line that backs the ‘I’m gonna keep you in love with me for a while’ chorus.

Frontman Matt Berninger dances with St. Vincent at the track’s close, before lamenting quite touchingly: “I realised I don’t know how to spin somebody,”

Berninger told us earlier in the year that he finds performing on stage “humiliating”, but in a good way.

“That's why people pack into clubs to watch a handful of people on stage singing love songs," he said, “because it's exciting to see people trying to make art. Nine times out of 10 it might not come off, but seeing the failure and seeing the people that keep going on to the next song - that's the thing you cheer for.”

Matt recently said the band have 15 “very fucking amazing songs” together for the new as-yet-untitled album.