By Kwase Lane, Staff Writer
[Photo courtesy of Chloe Brewer]

Matt Berninger, frontman of The National, is set to release his track “Walking On A String” on indie label Dead Oceans on October 17, 2019. The song features vocals from California singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers and appears in BETWEEN TWO FERNS: THE MOVIE, which was released on Netflix on September 20, 2019.

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BETWEEN TWO FERNS: THE MOVIE is a comedy that tells the story of actor Zach Galifianakis and the persona he’s created over the past years. In the movie, Berninger and Bridgers appear together performing “Walking on a String” as a duet in a bathroom scene, and when commissioning the track, BETWEEN TWO FERNS director and writer Scott Auckerman gave Berninger free rein over the song as long as it resulted in a track that would fit in a bar scene in the heartland of America. 

Two versions of “Walking On A String” were recorded for the film: one is flashy pop rendition, and the other is a subdued Americana piece. The band’s performance for the movie was filmed at Oh Grady’s bar in San Fernando Valley, California. 

The song was written to be used in the movie and was created in collaboration with Berninger’s wife Karin Besser and musician Mike Brewer. The track also features guitarist Walter Martin and drummer Matt Barrick of The Walkmen, and its production was done by Tony Berg and Ethan Gruska.

“Walking On A String” is the first time Berninger and Bridgers have worked together. The track will be released on all platforms on October 17, 2019, via Dead Oceans, and until then, BETWEEN TWO FERNS: THE MOVIE is available now on Netflix.