Death Cab for Cutie Biography

The alternative band Death Cab for Cutie was established in 1997 by founding members Jason McGerr, Ben Gibbard, Nick Harmer, and Chris Walla. Initially a solo project for Gibbard, Death Cab for Cutie expanded quickly once Gibbard realized the potential of the project, and within a year the band had released its first LP. Something About Airplanes, showcasing their unusual blend of alternative, emo, and indie pop/rock.

We have the Facts and We’re Voting Yes came next, followed by The Forbidden Love (2000), the Photo Album (2001), and Transatlanticism (2003), all of them EPs. Even though Death Cab for Cutie had yet to sign to a major label, music from Transatlanticism found its way into the films Easy A, Wedding Crashers, and Mean Creek, and onto the small screen in the television shows Californication, CSI: Miami, The O.C., and Six Feet Under. The growing grassroots popularity of Death Cab for Cutie eventually caught the attention of Atlantic Records, and the band was signed in 2004.

Since then, Death Cab for Cutie has become among the most popular and frequently played band in American alternative pop/rock. After signing to Atlantic, Death Cab for Cutie released the albums Plans (2005), Narrow Stairs (2008),  Codes and Keys (2011), and Kintsugi (2015), each of which spawned chart-topping alternative hits, including: “Soul Meets Body,” “Crooked Teeth,” “I Will Follow You into the Dark,” “Grapevine Fires,” “Cath…,” “Meet Me on the Equinox,” “You Are a Tourist,” and “Stay Young, Go Dancing.” The album Plans earned Death Cab for Cutie a Grammy nomination for best Alternative Album, and to date the album has now certified platinum.

Death Cab for Cutie continues to record and perform with the current lineup of Gibbard, Harmer, McGerr, Dave Depper, and Zac Rae. The group released their latest album, Thank You for Today, in 2018.