Even if you’re not already a fan of Death Cab for Cutie, chances are you’ve heard their unusual name (inspired by a song title from an old Beatles movie). An indie-pop favourite since 1998, the quartet have toured relentlessly and have been name-dropped constantly on The OC as geek-chic hipster Seth’s alltime favourite band, even being invited to make an appearance on the hit show.
After building a rapidly growing fan base with four indie albums, they were scooped up by record label Atlantic, and released their first major label debut, Plans, last August. The transition from their indie label was painless. With more money and more resources, they were able to amplify and expand their evolving vision. And they didn’t run into problems with the major label meddling to change their sound. Lead singer Ben Gibbard says they wouldn’t have made the switch otherwise.
Their indie spirit still shines through with their innovative Directions DVD. They realized that for the cost of one typical major label video, they could actually make 11 short films, shot by up-and-coming young directors, for every song on Plans. Gibbard says they’re very happy with the result, and after a successful debut of the films on iTunes, the whole compilation has just been released on DVD.
The band: Death Cab for Cutie, former indie-pop darlings from Bellingham, Washington, on the brink of a major label breakthrough.
Right now: Directions DVD with 11 short films inspired by their latest album, Plans, released in April.
Written by Faze contributor Austin Wong
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