Deathcab for Cutie
If a band has enjoyed both critical and popular success in the beginning stages of its career, switching up its lineup and reinventing its recording process for a new album could seem like a pretty risky move.
Not so for the Seattle-based indie rockers who make up Death Cab For Cutie. Although they had already built a reputation as one of the premier bands on the independent scene and established a devoted fan base, by the time they started to record their fourth album, they were ready for a change.
For starters, they added drummer and old friend Jason McGerr to the band roster in 2003.
“It was kind of a no-brainer for us really,” bassist Nick Harmer said regarding the change. “He was just an old friend and a kindred spirit. He was a very necessary component of all the things that happened to us, and for us, that allowed us to make the record that we did.”
Death Cab For Cutie also chose to forgo its habit of performing its works-in-progress live before ever hitting a studio. Instead, the band members stripped down their new songs to the melody and lyrics and built up the arrangements from there, with the individual contributions of each band member.
“It’s really just about more internal self-exploration. It was about seeing how we recorded (our third album) ‘The Photo Album,’ and deciding how we were going to do it differently, and realizing how we felt while we were making ‘The Photo Album’ and then we decided ‘OK, let’s tweak this here and there and see what happens this time,’” said Harmer. “This time it was fantastic– we had a great time, and we really came close to laying down exactly what sort of structure in which we’d like to record a record.”
These changes ultimately resulted in the gem that is “Transatlanticism,” Death Cab For Cutie’s most critically acclaimed and commercially well-received album to date. “Transatlanticism” thrives on its nuanced arrangements, diverse range of songs, and universal lyrical themes of “loss, distance and separation, anxiety, a sort of disillusionment about getting older,” according to Harmer.
Currently on a second North American tour, Death Cab For Cutie has recently enjoyed a new surge in popularity, stemming from the critical recognition it received for “Transatlanticism.” In addition to making the usual late night talk-show appearances, it has been featured on Fox’s hit teen television show “The O.C.” The band also looks forward to performing at the Coachella music festival in Indio, Calif.
“We were just really fortunate to have received an invitation this year. It’s a really great lineup, and I’m so proud to be a part of (it),” said Harmer. “I mean, I just probably would have wanted to go to the show, and now we get to play. That’s just icing on the cake as far as I’m concerned.”
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