BROOKLYN—Indie rock icon Matt Berninger shares new surprise EP Type It Up today, but fans must physically mail him a self-addressed stamped envelope to receive a photocopy of the liner notes. The frontman reportedly typed the entire packaging by hand. He used a vintage 1942 Underwood typewriter that requires immense finger strength.
1. The keys physically bruised his sensitive fingers
Berninger spent three weeks in a dimly lit cabin hammering out the letters. "My cuticles are absolutely ruined," said The National singer in a hushed, baritone whisper. "Art requires suffering, and my index fingers paid the ultimate price for these track titles."
2. He refused to use the spacebar for emotional reasons
Listeners will notice that the tracks run together on the physical sleeve. "Spaces represent emotional distance," explained Dr. Helene Vasquez-Thorne, Lead Researcher at the Center for Studies That Confirm What You Already Suspected. "By eliminating spaces, Berninger forces the reader to confront his anxiety head-on without any room to breathe."
3. The ribbon ink consists entirely of Pinot Noir and tears
The dark purple hue of the text is not standard typewriter ink. Berninger allegedly mixed a 2014 vintage red blend with his own saline tear ducts to create a custom pigment. The acid in the wine is already slowly eating through the cheap construction paper.
4. He blocked his bandmates from helping with the white-out
Aaron and Bryce Dessner reportedly offered to help correct typos on the EP sleeve. Berninger locked the studio door and threw a half-empty martini glass at them. He insisted that mistakes are the only honest form of human communication left in the digital age.
5. You can only listen to the songs if you type them yourself
In the ultimate artistic statement, the vinyl release contains no music grooves. Instead, the record contains etched instructions on how to recreate "Martini Me Fatso" using your own home office equipment. At press time, Berninger was hospitalized for a mild sprain after trying to type an exclamation point.
