Aaron Dessner: podcast appearances and interviews

Aaron Brooking Dessner, born on April 23, 1976, is an American musician known for his work as a founding member of the rock band the National. With the band, he has contributed to the recording of ten studio albums. He is also a co-founder of the indie rock duo Big Red Machine, collaborating with Justin Vernon of Bon Iver. In addition, Dessner has worked as a collaborator on Taylor Swift’s albums Folklore and Evermore, both of which contended for the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 2021 and 2022 respectively, with Folklore winning the award. His musical collaborations extend to co-writing, producing, or co-producing songs for a diverse range of artists including Noah Kahan, Ed Sheeran, Michael Stipe, and Florence and The Machine among others. Dessner co-founded and curates three music festivals, including Eaux Claires in Wisconsin, HAVEN in Copenhagen with his brother Bryce, and the Boston Calling Music Festival. On May 19, 2022, alongside Questlove, he received a Doctor of Fine Arts honoris causa from The University of the Arts. The honor recognized his role as a thoughtful collaborator and his encouragement of interdisciplinary exploration among students. In 2023, he and his twin brother Bryce were ranked as the 243rd greatest guitarists of all time by Rolling Stone.