- Notable Works:
- “Thank You for Today”
- “Transatlanticism”
- On the Web:
- AllMusic - Death Cab for Cutie (Nov. 06, 2026)
Death Cab for Cutie
News •
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Who are Death Cab for Cutie?
Death Cab for Cutie is an American indie rock group that helped define the emo genre in the early 2000s. Ben Gibbard and Chris Walla met at Western Washington University in the mid-1990s and began writing music together. They then added Nick Harmer, and Nathan Good to form Death Cab for Cutie, a name taken from a song by the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band.
In 1998, their debut album, Something About Airplanes, was released. Transatlanticism (2003) led them to sign with Atlantic Records in 2005, and their major label debut, Plans, featured the hit singles "Soul Meets Body" and "I Will Follow You into the Dark". Kintsugi (2015) was the last album to feature founding member Chris Walla.
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What type of music does Death Cab for Cutie play?
Death Cab for Cutie is an American indie rock group that helped define the emo genre in the early 2000s. Ben Gibbard and Chris Walla met in the mid-1990s at Western Washington University, where they assisted each other in writing and recording music.
Their debut album, Something About Airplanes, was released in 1998 and created buzz on the indie rock scene. The band then signed with Atlantic Records in 2005. Their major label debut, Plans, was released that year and gained the hit singles "Soul Meets Body" and "I Will Follow You into the Dark".
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When and where was Death Cab for Cutie formed?
Death Cab for Cutie, an American indie rock group known for helping to define the emo genre, was formed in the mid-1990s by Ben Gibbard and Chris Walla while they were students at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington.
While at Western Washington University, Gibbard and Walla assisted each other in writing and recording music in their dorms. Gibbard produced a cassette, You Can Play These Songs with Chords, which gained him a local following. Soon after, additional members were brought in and the band began performing as Death Cab for Cutie, a name taken from a song by the 1960s psychedelic rock group the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band.
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Who are the main members of Death Cab for Cutie?
Death Cab for Cutie, an American indie rock group, helped define the emo genre in the early 2000s. The original members were lead singer Ben Gibbard, guitarist Chris Walla, bassist Nick Harmer, and drummer Nathan Good. Michael Schorr and Jason McGerr later joined. Gibbard and Walla met in the mid-1990s at Western Washington University and began writing and recording music together. With Walla’s help, Gibbard produced a cassette, You Can Play These Songs with Chords, which earned him a local following. The band began performing as Death Cab for Cutie, a name taken from a song by the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band. Kintsugi (2015) was the last album to feature Walla, who left after its completion. Thank You for Today (2018) featured Dave Depper and Zac Rae.
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What are some of Death Cab for Cutie’s most popular albums or songs?
Death Cab for Cutie is an American indie rock group that helped define the emo genre in the early 2000s. Formed by Ben Gibbard and Chris Walla in the mid-1990s, the band released its debut album, Something About Airplanes, in 1998.
Their third album, The Photo Album (2001), was praised for its exploration of relationships. Transatlanticism (2003) gained further success, with songs featured on The O.C. television series. Plans (2005), their major label debut, included the hit singles "Soul Meets Body" and "I Will Follow You into the Dark," earning them a Grammy nomination. In 2008, they released Narrow Stairs, featuring the single "I Will Possess Your Heart," which hit number one on the Billboard charts.
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How has Death Cab for Cutie influenced indie and alternative rock music?
Death Cab for Cutie, an American indie rock group, significantly contributed to defining the emo genre in the early 2000s. Their debut album, Something About Airplanes, released in 1998, garnered attention within the indie rock scene. The band's success grew with albums like The Photo Album and Transatlanticism, the latter gaining further exposure through the television series The O.C..
Their major-label debut, Plans, featured hit singles and earned them a Grammy nomination. Narrow Stairs reached number one on the Billboard charts. Later albums like Codes and Keys and Kintsugi explored new sonic territories, influencing the pop-rock landscape.
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Death Cab for Cutie, American indie rock group that helped define the emo genre of music in the early 2000s. Original members were lead singer Ben Gibbard (b. August 11, 1976, Bremerton, Washington, U.S.), guitarist Chris Walla (b. November 2, 1975, Bothell, Washington), bassist Nick Harmer (b. January 23, 1975, Bothell, Washington), and drummer Nathan Good. Later members included Michael Schorr and Jason McGerr.
Death Cab for Cutie founders Gibbard and Walla met in the mid-1990s at Western Washington University, in Bellingham, Washington, where they began to help each other write and record music in their dormitories. With Walla’s help, Gibbard produced a cassette, You Can Play These Songs with Chords, which earned him a local following. Soon after, additional members were brought in and the band began performing as Death Cab for Cutie, a name taken from a song by 1960s psychedelic rock group the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band.
In 1998 the band’s debut album, Something About Airplanes, was released on Seattle’s Barsuk Records, and it created buzz on the indie rock scene. The group followed with We Have the Facts and We’re Voting Yes (2000) and The Photo Album (2001); the latter was highly praised for its exploration of relationships. (Between the second and third album, Good left the group and was replaced as drummer by Schorr, who was in turn [2003] succeeded by McGerr.) After touring, band members dispersed and devoted time to solo efforts. During this time Gibbard’s new wave–influenced side project, the Postal Service, produced Give Up (2003).
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The title of Death Cab for Cutie’s next album, Transatlanticism (2003), refers to the distances that had separated the band members during the album’s preparation. The success of Transatlanticism, songs from which were featured on the 2003–07 television series The O.C., led the band to sign with Atlantic Records in 2005. Plans, the group’s major label debut, was released that year and yielded the hit singles “Soul Meets Body” and “I Will Follow You into the Dark.” It received the first in a string of Grammy Award nominations. In 2008 Death Cab for Cutie released Narrow Stairs, a darker album that hit number one on the Billboard charts in its first week of release and featured the single “I Will Possess Your Heart.” After The Open Door EP (2009), the band recorded Codes and Keys (2011), which focused on keyboards rather than guitar and included the popular “You Are a Tourist.” Death Cab for Cutie’s eighth studio release, Kintsugi (2015), was the last to feature founding member Walla, who left after its completion. It was the first recording not produced by him, and it exhibited a pop-rock sensibility. Thank You for Today (2018) featured Dave Depper and Zac Rae on guitar and keyboards and was met with mixed reviews.