Death Cab for Cutie is an American indie rock band formed in Bellingham, Wa… Read Full Bio ↴Death Cab for Cutie is an American indie rock band formed in Bellingham, Washington in 1997. The band consists of Ben Gibbard (vocals, guitar, piano), Nicholas Harmer (bass), Jason McGerr (drums), Dave Depper (guitar) and Zac Rae (keyboards).

Death Cab began as a solo project of Ben Gibbard, now the band's vocalist and guitarist. Gibbard took the band name from the satirical song Death Cab for Cutie, performed by The Bonzo Dog Band in The Beatles' 1967 experimental film Magical Mystery Tour. As Death Cab for Cutie, Gibbard released a cassette titled You Can Play These Songs with Chords; the release was surprisingly successful, and Gibbard decided to expand the band into a complete project. He recruited Chris Walla (who had also worked on the cassette) as an electric guitarist, Nick Harmer as bass guitarist, and Nathan Good to play drums.

The four released the LP Something About Airplanes on August 18th 1998. The album was favorably reviewed in the independent music scene, and in 2000 the band released We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes. Nathan Good left the band at some point during this album's production. His playing on “The Employment Pages” and “Company Calls Epilogue” were kept, but Gibbard played drums on all other songs.

Michael Schorr would first appear on The Forbidden Love E.P., released on October 24, 2000. In 2001, another LP was released, entitled The Photo Album. Limited editions of this album contained three bonus tracks, which were later released separately as The Stability EP.

In 2003, there was another change of drummer, with Jason McGerr of Eureka Farm replacing Schorr. McGerr would play drums on the next release, Transatlanticism.

Transatlanticism was released in October of 2003. It received critical praise and also became the band's top-selling album, with 225,000 copies sold during its first year out.

In spring of 2004, the band recorded a live E.P. titled The John Byrd E.P., named for their sound engineer. The E.P. was released on Barsuk Records in March 2004.

In November of 2004, Death Cab for Cutie signed a “long-term worldwide deal” with Atlantic Records, leaving their long-time label Barsuk Records. Gibbard stated on the official website www.deathcabforcutie.com that nothing would change except that “Next to the picture of Barsuk holding a 7", there will be the letter "A" on both the spine and back of our upcoming albums.” This was a marked change from Gibbard's earlier views on major-label relations, which he said “are set up to fuck you and take all your money.”. After signing to Atlantic, the band was still nervous about corporate economics, and encouraged fans to download its songs from the Internet.

The first and second singles off the band's Atlantic Record release Plans were “Soul Meets Body” and “Crooked Teeth”, respectively. The full album was released in August of 2005. Plans was somewhat well-acclaimed by critics and fans, and received a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Album of 2005. It achieved Gold Status in 2006 after charting on Billboard for 47 consecutive weeks.

The band released a touring DVD titled Drive Well, Sleep Carefully in 2005. Known for their contributions to animal rights, the band is supporting the activist group PETA in giving away copies of the DVD to promote animal rights.

In early 2006, the band announced the upcoming release of Directions, eleven short films inspired by songs from the Plans album, each directed by a different person. The videos were posted one at a time at the band's website and the DVD went on sale April 11, 2006.

On May 12, 2008 their album, Narrow Stairs, was released and was well received by both critics and fans. It was their first album to reach #1 on the Billboard 200. The album contains the singles "I Will Possess Your Heart", "Cath..." and "Grapevine Fires".

The band's latest released The Open Door EP, which was released on March 31, 2009. Their main styles consist of slow progressive rock with dark lyrics.

The band's seventh album, Codes and Keys, was released on May 31, 2011. The album's first single was "You Are A Tourist".

On October 11, 2013, the band reportedly began working on their eighth studio album. This was then confirmed by the group's official Instagram profile in which an image was uploaded with the caption "DCFC LP8 begins". The new album will be produced by Rich Costey and is expected to be released in early 2015. In an interview with Stereogum, Gibbard said of the new album, "I do think from start to finish it's a much better record than Codes And Keys. If that record turned anybody off, I feel pretty strongly that this one could win them back. There are threads in this one that connect back to our earliest stuff that people love." On October 29, 2013, the band released a remastered tenth-anniversary version of their 2003 album Transatlanticism. The new album included a vinyl LP and MP3 download, with demos for all the songs from the album.

As part of the 2014 Record Store Day, the band released its first live album, a vinyl-only double LP recorded during various 2012 tour dates with Magik*Magik Orchestra. Included within the packaging was a code for a digital download of the recording.

On August 13, 2014, after 17 years as a member of Death Cab for Cutie, guitarist and songwriter Chris Walla decided to part ways with the band, with his last performance occurring on September 13, 2014 at the Rifflandia Music Festival in Victoria, British Columbia. Walla states that he plans to "...continue making music, producing records, and erring on the side of benevolence and beauty whenever possible." When asked in an interview about Walla's involvement in the eighth album, McGerr confirmed that Walla "played on everything and has been involved all the way through, even in the mixing. Even though he's played his last show with us, he's still been involved in everything involving this record."

5.The Sound of Settling
Death Cab for Cutie Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

And I'll sit and wonder of every love that could have been
If I'd only thought of something charming to say

This is the sound of settling
This is the sound of settling

I've got a hunger twisting my stomach into knots

Overall Meaning

"The Sound of Settling" is a song by American indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie, released in 2003 as the second single from their fourth studio album "Transatlanticism." The song's lyrics describe the feeling of being stuck in a state of indecision or immobility, with the singer's hunger representing a desire to move forward and take action. However, he finds himself unable to express his impulses, leaving him feeling frustrated and trapped. The repeated phrase "This is the sound of settling" suggests that this inability to act is leading him to accept a life of mediocrity and compromise, rather than pursuing his dreams.

The second half of the song touches on the idea of aging and missed opportunities. The singer imagines himself as an old man, looking back on his life and regretting the moments when he failed to seize the chance for love. The line "If I'd only thought of something charming to say" implies that the singer's inability to express himself has led him to miss out on romantic possibilities. Overall, the song is a poignant reflection on the human tendency towards stagnation and passivity, and the importance of taking risks and pursuing our desires.

Line by Line Meaning

I've got a hunger twisting my stomach into knots
I am feeling a strong desire or longing that is causing physical pain and discomfort.

that my tongue is tied off
I am unable to articulate my thoughts or express myself verbally.

My brain's repeating if you've got an impulse, let it out!
My mind is urging me to act on my impulses and desires, to not hold back.

But they never make it past my mouth
Despite my desire to express myself, I am unable to do so due to fear, insecurity, or other factors.

This is the sound of settling
This feeling of being stuck, unable to express myself, or move forward is what it means to settle in life.

Our youth is fleeting, old age is just around the bend and I can't wait to go gray
Life is short and unpredictable, and I am eager to embrace all of its stages, including aging and wisdom.

And I'll sit and wonder of every love that could have been
I will reflect on missed opportunities for love and connection, wishing I had taken more risks and expressed myself more fully.

If I'd only thought of something charming to say
Regretting missed chances for connection, and recognizing that the ability to express oneself in a charming or engaging manner could have made a difference.

This is the sound of settling
The song repeats this line to emphasize the idea that settling means feeling trapped or stuck in one's life, unable to truly express oneself or pursue their dreams.