Formed in Bellingham, WA in 1997, Death Cab for Cutie almost immediately entered the ranks of the era’s definitive bands, fueled in large part by the remarkable power of co-founder, vocalist, guitarist, and lead songwriter Benjamin Gibbard’s complex, often bittersweet songcraft. The band made their worldwide popular breakthrough with 2003’s RIAA gold certified Transatlanticism, later named by NPR as one of “The Decade's 50 Most Important Recordings.” Plans, their 2005 Atlantic Records debut release, saw Death Cab for Cutie ascending to even greater heights, earning RIAA platinum certification and a GRAMMY® Award nomination for “Best Alternative Album” while spawning the chart-topping singles, “Soul Meets Body” and “I Will Follow You into the Dark,” the latter of which was honored with a GRAMMY® nod for “Best Pop Performance By Duo Or Group With Vocals.” Their following albums – including Narrow Stairs (2008), The Open Door (2009), Codes and Keys (2011), and Kintsugi (2015) – all received various GRAMMY® Award nominations, bringing their total career nominations to eight overall.

 

Death Cab for Cutie’s ninth studio album Thank You for Today was released in 2018. That album saw the band entering its second decade by both expanding and refining its signature sound, with highlights including lead single, “Gold Rush,” which reached #1 on Billboard’s “Adult Alternative Songs” chart.

 

The band continued to affirm their lasting artistic legacy with a wide range of creative activity in the years that followed, including diverse collaborations such as Chance the Rapper’s 2019 album track, “Do You Remember (ft. Death Cab for Cutie),” and Tycho & Gibbard’s acclaimed 2021 single, “Only Love.”

 

December 2020 saw Death Cab for Cutie release The Georgia EP, initially offered as a 24-hour Bandcamp exclusive in advance of the crucial Georgia runoff elections that ultimately turned the state blue and secured Democratic control of the US Senate. The five-song project – which features covers of iconic artists from the great state of Georgia – raised over $100K for Fair Fight Action, the national voting rights organization founded by Stacy Abrams.

 

In February of this year, Gibbard conceived, curated, and executive produced Ocean Child: Songs of Yoko Ono, an acclaimed tribute to the groundbreaking singer, songwriter, multimedia artist, and activist released in celebration of her 89th birthday. The collection – which included Death Cab for Cutie’s own cover of “Waiting For The Sunrise” – also featured contributions from a stunning range of diverse artists, including David Byrne, Japanese Breakfast, The Flaming Lips, and Sharon Van Etten. Ocean Child earned worldwide critical acclaim spanning The New York Times, Rolling Stone, NPR, The Guardian and more.

 

Death Cab for Cutie’s 10th studio album Asphalt Meadows is out now via Atlantic Records.