As Death Cab for Cutie returns with their 11th studio album, 'I Built You A Tower,' the band joined us inside the In-N-Out Burger Sound Space in Los Angeles for a special performance and conversation about the latest chapter from the GRAMMY-nominated group.
Before an electrifying set for fans inside the Sound Space, Ben Gibbard and Nick Harmer dove into the band's creative legacy, their ongoing connection with their fans, and the foundation that has kept DCFC strong for over 25 years.
With Miles The DJ acknowledging Death Cab for Cutie’s incredible longevity, Gibbard explained that his primary satisfaction comes from the internal process of creation, writing a song in his home studio and sharing it with his bandmates. “I've always thought that if I have a strong feeling that's put into a song that we all, the band, initially connects to and feels like it's expressing something about the human experience, that other people will connect with it too,” he reveals. “I write a lot and a lot of the stuff I write, you guys will probably never hear, but the stuff that does cut through and we choose to release, we feel we're releasing it because we feel it says something about what it means to be alive, what it means to be a human being.”
“It's been one of the greatest honors of my life to have people such as yourself have this connection with this music. It's really, it has so much more to do with you than it does with us, and it has so much more to do with you than it does with me, because without you guys, I guess I would exist on this planet, but as a songwriter, the music would not have the breadth and the reach that it has without you guys and how you've integrated into your life. So we have to say thank you to all of you, we're here because of you.”
The foundational strength of DCFC remains their genuine friendship, with Ben noting that he and Harmer have been best friends since they were teenagers. "There's no better feeling than being in a band with your friends. It's just the best. So we figure why stop doing it, you know, keep going."
Fresh off anniversary celebrations for 'Plans' and 'Transatlanticism,' Death Cab got to revisit those initial bonds that solidified their approach to music, and helped inform their next project. “I think playing those anniversary shows were about as close to getting into a time machine as I'll ever get in my life," Harmer admits. This reflection ultimately provided them with renewed confidence and momentum to channel into their new project, 'I Built You a Tower.'
For more from Death Cab for Cutie, check out the full Sound Space interview above. 'I Built You A Tower' is now available everywhere.
