Death Cab for Cutie

Death Cab for Cutie

Formed in Bellingham, WA in 1997, Death Cab for Cutie quickly emerged as one of the defining bands of their era, propelled by the emotionally incisive songwriting of co-founder, vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter Benjamin Gibbard. The band’s global breakthrough came with 2003’s Transatlanticism, a platinum-certified release later named by NPR as one of the decade’s most important recordings. Their 2005 major-label debut Plans pushed them to even greater prominence, earning platinum status and their first GRAMMY® nominations. Subsequent albums—including Narrow Stairs, Codes and Keys, and Kintsugi—continued to expand their sonic palette while securing a total of eight GRAMMY® nominations and cementing their critical and cultural standing. 

In the years since, Death Cab for Cutie have consistently reaffirmed their relevance and creative ambition. 2018’s Thank You for Today marked a new chapter, featuring the chart-topping single “Gold Rush,” while later projects highlighted the band’s collaborative spirit and civic engagement—from high-profile musical partnerships to The Georgia EP, which raised over $100,000 for voting rights efforts. Gibbard’s 2022 tribute project Ocean Child: Songs of Yoko Ono earned widespread acclaim, and that same year the band released their tenth studio album, Asphalt Meadows, underscoring a legacy defined not only by longevity, but by continual artistic growth and purpose.

NATION OF LANGUAGE

Four years on from the release of their unexpectedly self-assured debut album, NYC-based Nation of Language have attracted a rapidly growing international audience via their danceable and impassioned take on new wave, post-punk & shoegaze genres. Following the critical acclaim of their first LP Introduction, Presence, its 2021 follow-up A Way Forward pushed them to a wider audience—landing them their late-night TV debut on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and a string of sold out tours—and their 2023 record Strange Disciple has continued this momentum, landing Rough Trade’s coveted #1 album of the year spot. Now a mainstay atop lists of the best live acts of recent years, the band continues to charge synth-first into their latest chapter as a major festival draw at recent iterations of Austin City Limits Festival, Desert Daze, Pitchfork Festival, Primavera Sound, Corona Capital, Outside Lands, Bonnaroo and many others.