Aaron Dessner facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Aaron Dessner
Dessner at Way Out West in Gothenburg, Sweden, 2014
Background information
Birth name	Aaron Brooking Dessner
Born	(1976-04-23) April 23, 1976 (age 49) Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Record producer songwriter instrumentalist
Instruments	Guitar piano keyboards vocals
Years active	1998–present

Aaron Brooking Dessner (born April 23, 1976) is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. He is famous for being a founding member of the rock band The National. He also co-founded the indie rock duo Big Red Machine with Bon Iver's Justin Vernon.

Aaron Dessner is also well-known for working with pop superstar Taylor Swift. He helped create her award-winning albums Folklore and Evermore. Folklore even won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 2021. He also worked on her albums Midnights and The Tortured Poets Department. Dessner has written or produced songs for many other artists, including Ed Sheeran, Gracie Abrams, and Sharon Van Etten. He also helps organize music festivals like Eaux Claires and Boston Calling Music Festival. In 2023, Rolling Stone magazine named him and his twin brother, Bryce, among the greatest guitarists of all time.

Early Life

Aaron Dessner grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, with his twin brother, Bryce Dessner. He attended high school at Cincinnati Country Day School and graduated in 1994. Later, he studied Modern European History at Columbia University. Dessner has mentioned that his Jewish background influences his music. He enjoys the calm, repeating patterns found in some religious prayers.

Music Career

The National

Aaron Dessner and his brother Bryce were friends with Bryan Devendorf since they were kids. In 1998, they joined Bryan's band, which became The National. The band also included Bryan's older brother, Scott Devendorf, and Matt Berninger.

Their first album, The National, came out in 2001. Aaron helped start the record label, Brassland Records, which released this album. Their second album, Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers, was released in 2003. After gaining some attention, the band signed with Beggars Banquet Records. They released Alligator in 2005, which was praised by critics and helped them reach more fans.

In 2007, the band released Boxer. This album was very popular and appeared on many "album of the year" lists. Some of its songs were even used in TV shows and movies. For example, in 2008, an instrumental version of "Fake Empire" was used in a presidential campaign video.

The National continued to release successful albums. High Violet (2010) sold over 850,000 copies worldwide. Their sixth album, Trouble Will Find Me (2013), was nominated for a Best Alternative Album award. In 2017, Sleep Well Beast became their seventh album. Its lead song, "The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness", reached number one on a Billboards chart. The band released I Am Easy to Find in 2019. In 2023, they surprised fans with two albums: First Two Pages of Frankenstein and Laugh Track.

Aaron Dessner has helped produce all of The National's albums since Alligator. Many of their albums were recorded in his home studios, including his garage and attic.

Big Red Machine

In 2008, Aaron Dessner sent a song idea called "Big Red Machine" to Justin Vernon (from Bon Iver). Vernon liked it and wrote a song for it. Ten years later, they officially formed a band called Big Red Machine. Their first self-titled album came out in 2018.

The duo released their second album, How Long Do You Think It's Gonna Last?, in 2021. This album featured many guest artists, including Ben Howard, Sharon Van Etten, and Taylor Swift.

Other Production Work

Aaron Dessner is a very busy producer and songwriter for many other artists. He worked with singer Sharon Van Etten on her album Tramp (2012), which was highly praised. He also produced Local Natives' album Hummingbird (2013). Critics especially liked Dessner's production, saying he made the songs sound "rich and deep."

In 2016, Dessner produced Lisa Hannigan's album At Swim, which was very successful in Ireland and the UK. He also produced Painting of a Panic Attack (2016) for Frightened Rabbit.

A big moment in his career came in April 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Taylor Swift asked him to work on music together. He produced and co-wrote her eighth album, Folklore. This album was a surprise release in July 2020 and won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 2021. Dessner continued to work with Swift on her albums Evermore (2020), Midnights (2022), and The Tortured Poets Department (2024). He also helped with her re-recorded albums like Fearless (Taylor's Version) (2021) and Red (Taylor's Version) (2021).

After working with Taylor Swift, many other artists wanted to collaborate with Dessner. He has since worked with Maya Hawke, Gracie Abrams, Ed Sheeran, and Girl in Red. He also co-produced Ben Howard's album Collections from the Whiteout (2021).

Film Scores

Aaron Dessner and his brother Bryce have also composed music for movies. They created the score for Transpecos (2016), which won an award at the South by Southwest festival. They also worked on the music for Big Sur (2013). In 2021, they scored two more films: C'mon C'mon and Cyrano.

Collaborations

Day of the Dead

In 2016, Aaron and Bryce Dessner created Day of the Dead. This was a charity tribute album to the band Grateful Dead. It was a huge project, taking four years to record. It featured over 60 artists and had 59 songs, lasting almost six hours! All the money raised from this album helps fight AIDS/HIV through the Red Hot Organization. The National also had songs on the album.

Forever Love

"Forever Love" is a special project by Aaron and Bryce Dessner with Icelandic artist Ragnar Kjartansson. It combines visual art, performance, and live music. It's a song cycle performed by the Dessner brothers and other musicians. This project first appeared at the Eaux Claires Festival in 2015.

The Long Count

"The Long Count" was a big music project for the BAM Next Wave Festival in 2009. The Dessner brothers worked with visual artist Matthew Ritchie. The music was based on the Mayan creation story, Popol Vuh. It featured a 12-piece orchestra and guest singers from famous bands like the Breeders and TV on the Radio.

Dark Was the Night

In 2009, Aaron and Bryce Dessner produced Dark Was the Night, another charity album for the Red Hot Organization. This album has raised over 2 million dollars for AIDS charities. Many artists who contributed to the album performed at a special concert at Radio City Music Hall in 2009.

Aaron Dessner performing with The National at Byron Bay Bluesfest, Easter 2016

Other Contributions

Aaron Dessner often works with many different musicians. He and his brother Bryce have performed with famous orchestras, like the Copenhagen Philharmonic. They have played Bryce's compositions, such as "St. Carolyn by the Sea."

Dessner also contributed music to the documentary Racing Dreams. He co-wrote "Think You Can Wait" for the film Win Win. He also played a part in The National's music for the HBO show Game of Thrones. In 2012, Dessner and other members of The National performed with Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir for a live webcast. This event promoted voter registration.

Curator

Eaux Claires Music & Arts Festival

Eaux Claires is a music festival that Aaron Dessner co-founded and helps organize with Justin Vernon. The first festival took place in 2015 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. They wanted the festival to encourage different music styles to blend together.

PEOPLE Festival

The PEOPLE Festival is a non-profit music gathering in Berlin. Aaron Dessner, his brother Bryce, and Bon Iver help organize it. The first festival happened in 2016 and was called "Michelberger Music."

Boston Calling Music Festival

Boston Calling is another music festival that Dessner helps curate. It started in 2013 and now takes place once a year at the Harvard Athletic Complex in Allston.

Record Labels

Dessner co-founded the record label 37d03d (which looks like "PEOPLE" upside down) with Justin Vernon and Bryce Dessner.

He also co-founded Brassland Records with Alec Hanley Bemis and Bryce Dessner. This label has released albums by The National, This Is the Kit, and other artists.

Musical Equipment

Aaron Dessner often plays a 1965 Gibson Firebird guitar. He also uses a 1972 Fender Telecaster for recording. During live shows, he usually plays his Firebird and a 1963 Fender Jazzmaster.

For amplifiers, he has used a 1959 Fender Champ, a 1960s Fender Princeton, and a 1970s Music Man amplifier.

Personal Life

Aaron Dessner married Stine Wengler around 2016. They have three children. Dessner is a big fan of soccer and supports Liverpool F.C..

Awards and Nominations

Grammy Awards

Discography

With The National

• The National (2001)
• Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers (2003)
• Alligator (2005)
• Boxer (2007)
• High Violet (2010)
• Trouble Will Find Me (2013)
• Sleep Well Beast (2017)
• I Am Easy to Find (2019)
• First Two Pages of Frankenstein (2023)
• Laugh Track (2023)

With Big Red Machine

• Big Red Machine (2018)
• How Long Do You Think It's Gonna Last? (2021)

Film Scores

• Big Sur (2013) with Bryce Dessner
• Transpecos (2016) with Bryce Dessner
• C'mon, C'mon (2021) with Bryce Dessner