Biography
Guitarist and composer Neil Rosario conceived the neo-soul ensemble the National Trust after first emerging in 1990 as a member of the noise rock trio Dolomite. That group’s initial configuration ended in 1992 following the release of its lone 45, “Tarantula.” Rosario soon regrouped with bassist Doug DeMers, bringing in vocalist/drummer Rian Murphy and guitarist John Whitney to pursue a blues-rock direction that yielded the EP Gift Horse/Acetate and the album Easter Someday. When Dolomite dissolved in summer 1995, Rosario took a bartending position at Chicago’s Empty Bottle and briefly joined Red Red Meat, touring and playing on the group’s penultimate release, Bunny Gets Paid.
In 1996 Rosario launched Fifteen Couples alongside bassist Matt Fields, another Red Red Meat veteran, guitarist Andy Cunningham, and drummer Kim Ambriz. The quartet drew from classic pop and bubblegum styles, performed a limited number of shows, and amassed studio recordings that remained unreleased after Fields and Ambriz departed in early 1999. Rosario and Cunningham then enlisted DeMers plus singer/guitarist Mark Henning and adopted the name the National Trust. Their debut single, “Make It Happen,” came out on Thrill Jockey that summer, after which the band continued developing material at Chicago’s Clava studio with engineer Brian Deck.
Recording paused in April 2000 when Rosario traveled to Las Vegas to care for his father, who had suffered a heart attack; the elder Rosario died two months later. Neil returned to Chicago but set music aside until January 2001, financing his re-entry into the studio with winnings from his time in Nevada. Influenced by vintage Philly soul and the contemporary neo-R&B of artists such as D’Angelo and Macy Gray, he pursued larger-scale arrangements. Rosario and Deck ultimately logged roughly 500 hours refining the National Trust’s first album, layering as many as three dozen vocal tracks on certain songs along with expansive brass and string parts. The resulting LP, Dekkagar, appeared on Thrill Jockey in April 2002, followed by the even more ambitious Kings and Queens in January 2006.
In 1996 Rosario launched Fifteen Couples alongside bassist Matt Fields, another Red Red Meat veteran, guitarist Andy Cunningham, and drummer Kim Ambriz. The quartet drew from classic pop and bubblegum styles, performed a limited number of shows, and amassed studio recordings that remained unreleased after Fields and Ambriz departed in early 1999. Rosario and Cunningham then enlisted DeMers plus singer/guitarist Mark Henning and adopted the name the National Trust. Their debut single, “Make It Happen,” came out on Thrill Jockey that summer, after which the band continued developing material at Chicago’s Clava studio with engineer Brian Deck.
Recording paused in April 2000 when Rosario traveled to Las Vegas to care for his father, who had suffered a heart attack; the elder Rosario died two months later. Neil returned to Chicago but set music aside until January 2001, financing his re-entry into the studio with winnings from his time in Nevada. Influenced by vintage Philly soul and the contemporary neo-R&B of artists such as D’Angelo and Macy Gray, he pursued larger-scale arrangements. Rosario and Deck ultimately logged roughly 500 hours refining the National Trust’s first album, layering as many as three dozen vocal tracks on certain songs along with expansive brass and string parts. The resulting LP, Dekkagar, appeared on Thrill Jockey in April 2002, followed by the even more ambitious Kings and Queens in January 2006.
Albums
