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.”