Nick Harmer: Hi, this is Nick from Death Cab for Cutie.
Missy Suicide: Hi, this is Missy!
NH: Hi, we have an interview today.
MS: Yes, yes we do. How are you doing this afternoon?
NH: Great, just got through with band practice, at home now, hanging out. Yourself? How are you doing?
MS: Its going pretty good. Thats about it.
NH: Alright!
MS: First question is, how was the transition from an indie label to Atlantic?
NH: The transitions been a pretty smooth one so far, a good move, it is a transition and theres a lot to get used to instead of the situation that we were just in. So far were doing pretty well, in some ways we expected it to be different than it was, which has been a little bit strange, too.
MS: Is there any more attention that you got on an indie label that you dont get being at a bigger label, any label pressure, compromises with the music?
NH: There are different things for sure. Certainly on an indie label, youre more aware of all of all of the things that are happening to you and your band and your record on any given day. On a bigger label, there are so many people in different depts. working on things.
MS: Is that more or less stressful?
NH: It depends, sometimes its super less stressful to have others taking care of lots of things, and then sometimes once you figure out that someones working on something that youre not excited about, and then you kind of get more stressed. The overall level on Atlantic hasnt been very stressful, as they understand the kind of band we are and that we want to be, and they arent putting any pressure on us or are making us uncomfortable to do anything that we want to do, anything that doesnt feel like us.
MS: They didnt put any pressure on you or on the album to be guided into or sound any particular sort of way?
NH: No, none at all, and thats something that we worked really hard with on our contract, that they wouldnt have as much involvement, in our recording process, so Im really thankful, that they give us enough rope to hang ourselves with. They let us go off to where we want to go, and are pretty happy about it.
MS: You recorded this album on the East coast. What was that like, did that change the vibe of the album at all ?
NH: Um, you know what? This is the first time in the band that weve been really isolated when making a record. We spent 4 weeks in the middle of basically, nowhere. It was the first time that weve been isolated from a lot of the things that we are sort of comfortable with, friends and restraurants. It was nice to be in a place where all we had to do everyday was focus on our music.
MS: Must be nice to not have to worry about life, and focus on your music, and not anything else around you.
NH: It was fantastic for 3 weeks or so, and after awhile, we started to get cabin fever. The last week was tough, and we were all going a little stir crazy. Ultimately, we were there for the right amount of time.
MS: I was reading about some of the influences of the album, and it seems like a big influence was the transition from youth to adult. What about this transition made it all tangible for you?
NH: I dont know, I think that there are a lot of transitions going on in my life all over the place. We are getting more recognition as a band and there is also the transition with the new label. Our lives are changing. I think that all of that, I dont know, its hard to say that there is any one moment that makes it a tangible one. We are doing what we can do to figure it out and make sense of it all.
MS: Touring to me is like life in a fast forward moment while your real life stands still. You guys toured so much on your last album. How did you manage to grow up while you did the constant touring?
NH:(laughs): I think thats maybe a question, whether or not we are grown up. A lot of things have changed around us, but sometimes it feels like we still are like four kids in a living room still trying to make rent.
A lot of things have changed, but I still feel inside that we are four guys that like music and like playing together. We notice it more in the mornings, after partying or something. Sometimes you have to pinch yourself when you realize that, oh my gosh, youve been doing it for 8 years. Youre not as young as you once were in your 20s.
MS: Whats life been like after the OC?
NH: Surprisingly, pretty much the same. I think that the OC, Six Feet Under, movie soundtracks and all that, have been great, but you still have a lot to worry about. I dont think those shows have made the band a household name. Not much has changed. We have a lot of touring to do, and I dont think that we ever thought it was ever going to be much. Modest Mouse, they seemed to have a good time, the Walkmen, they seemed to have a pretty good time, so we figured why not?
MS:I think maybe youre more of a household name than you probably realize.
NH: Its hard to have that objective view on yourself.
MS:Do you get recognized when you go out?
NH: Yes, but thank goodness its not ever weird or creepy.
MS: Do you ever have any stalkers?
NH: None yet no, thank goodness. Our fans arent like that, yet.
MS: You played on the vote for change tour with Pearl Jam, and you guys are from Seattle. Pearl Jam are a Seattle legend.
NH: It was fantastic, that band was great, I remember seeing them when I was a kid. We have a lot of admiration for them. They figured out the way to become who they are, and we were just a small band that was opening for them. They treated everyone around them so well, they extended every courtesy to us, they were nice and down to earth, and it was super refreshing to be around people that were so influential. For such influential musicians, they were humble, and it was great. Unfotunately we didnt change the world like we thought we were all going to.
MS: What was your reaction to the result of the election?
NH: We were certainly disappointed and discouraged, and even months and days after then, we continued to have this I TOLD YOU SO mentality. What is it that the Bush administration is doing in New Orleans right now? It's terrible. You spent 2 days with this during this disaster on VACATION! You should have been there. It tears me up to see so many people hurting and that need help.
MS: It's sad to see that they don't have any hope, that there was no plan of action at all, even foreseeable, it's extremely frustrating.
NH: We are one of the wealthiest countries in this world and we should be able to take care of these things and take care of each other. There are a lot of factors, but there shouldn't continue to be people dying after the fact of this tragedy.
This is all an extension of wishing that the outcome of this election had turned out a little bit differently.
MS: You guys took a long break after the photo album, after the Postal Service was started and Chris produced a bunch of albums.
After the break, you guys recorded your best-selling album yet. How was the break, the time off of making music inspiring to you?
NH: One of the secrets to our mental health and sanity in the band is the fact that we all recognize that we realize have something very special between us. It's important and very dear to our hearts, but it's ok to take a break from that, and get reinspired and refreshed in working with other artists, writing with other people. Being part of another creative process.
We came back from our respective field trips and it made it very interesting and very exciting.
MS: You guys worked well with Jason McGerr, your drummer, but it seemed like it took awhile to get a drummer that stuck. Why is it so hard to keep a drummer?
NH: I have no idea, that's one of the great mysteries of life, but..
MS: It's like Spinal Tap.
NH: Yes, it's exactly like Spinal Tap!
NH: I don't know why it took us so long, but for whatever reason, things lined up with Jason and it clicked, we knew it. The chemistry, the energy that happens when we are together is undeniable.
At this point, we wouldn't be a band if it weren't for Jason.
MS: So the name Death Cab for Cutie comes from the Magical Mystery tour movie, right? Were you a big Beatles fan and are they a big influence on Death Cab?
NH: Yeah, we are all huge Beatles fans. They made some of the most amazing records in rock and roll offered today. They never got played out, and this is something that admired and we studied for a long time.
I'm not exactly sure how anyone can be in rock and roll today and not be somehow influenced by the Beatles. I think that they changed a lot about how music was played and presented and explored. It boggles my mind sometimes when you think about at how much that band has had on music culture.
MS: What's the process for songwriting? The lyrics are amazing, do they come first, or does the music come first? Or do they just all come together?
NH: I think that the lyrics and music come simultaneously. Melody is a hard thing to separate from music. I think that most of the stuff comes together simultaneously for Ben. As a band, our impact on the songs is more in the arrangement, it depends on the music, the nature of the song. The adding and subtracting of things here and there. We do that all in the name of the lyric, it's the focus of our songs, we focus around that.
MS: Rumor has it that you're a big comic book fan?
NH: That's true.
MS: Who are some of your favorite artists?
MS: One of my all-time favorite artists is Bill Finkowitz, he does occasional one-offs, he did a Daredevil and Electra graphic novel. He did Stray Coasters in the 90's, I think it's fantastically drawn, I love it and adore it. The story is strange and great.
One of my favorite writers of all time is Alan Moore who wrote the Watchman, Vendetta, and From Hell, which was made into a so-so Hollywood movie, although the comic was fantastic.
MS:Are you going to see the Natalie Portman movie for Vendetta?
NH:Of course! I've got to check it out. Maybe they'll get it right. Sometimes movies actually do get it right. I was actually scared when X-men came out, as for the Wolverine character, he's one of my favorites of all time, I was afraid about this guy I've never heard of, Hugh Jackman. What if he gets it wrong, but I think he did a really great job!
MS: He has such a range, from his Broadway career to Wolverine, he manages to do it all.
NH: So true.
MS: I think I just have one more question. I'm from Suicide Girls, and when I talked to the label, they said that you were a fan of SG. Had you heard of us before?
NH: Oh, absolutely. We actually, some friends and I, we saw the tour in Los Angeles, of all places, it was great. I saw the ad for the DVD, and I think we'll pick that up for the bus.
Keep doing what you're doing, keep up the good work, your website is fantastic and great!
Death Cab for Cutie's new album is out NOW, and it's called Plans.
Missy Suicide: Hi, this is Missy!
NH: Hi, we have an interview today.
MS: Yes, yes we do. How are you doing this afternoon?
NH: Great, just got through with band practice, at home now, hanging out. Yourself? How are you doing?
MS: Its going pretty good. Thats about it.
NH: Alright!
MS: First question is, how was the transition from an indie label to Atlantic?
NH: The transitions been a pretty smooth one so far, a good move, it is a transition and theres a lot to get used to instead of the situation that we were just in. So far were doing pretty well, in some ways we expected it to be different than it was, which has been a little bit strange, too.
MS: Is there any more attention that you got on an indie label that you dont get being at a bigger label, any label pressure, compromises with the music?
NH: There are different things for sure. Certainly on an indie label, youre more aware of all of all of the things that are happening to you and your band and your record on any given day. On a bigger label, there are so many people in different depts. working on things.
MS: Is that more or less stressful?
NH: It depends, sometimes its super less stressful to have others taking care of lots of things, and then sometimes once you figure out that someones working on something that youre not excited about, and then you kind of get more stressed. The overall level on Atlantic hasnt been very stressful, as they understand the kind of band we are and that we want to be, and they arent putting any pressure on us or are making us uncomfortable to do anything that we want to do, anything that doesnt feel like us.
MS: They didnt put any pressure on you or on the album to be guided into or sound any particular sort of way?
NH: No, none at all, and thats something that we worked really hard with on our contract, that they wouldnt have as much involvement, in our recording process, so Im really thankful, that they give us enough rope to hang ourselves with. They let us go off to where we want to go, and are pretty happy about it.
MS: You recorded this album on the East coast. What was that like, did that change the vibe of the album at all ?
NH: Um, you know what? This is the first time in the band that weve been really isolated when making a record. We spent 4 weeks in the middle of basically, nowhere. It was the first time that weve been isolated from a lot of the things that we are sort of comfortable with, friends and restraurants. It was nice to be in a place where all we had to do everyday was focus on our music.
MS: Must be nice to not have to worry about life, and focus on your music, and not anything else around you.
NH: It was fantastic for 3 weeks or so, and after awhile, we started to get cabin fever. The last week was tough, and we were all going a little stir crazy. Ultimately, we were there for the right amount of time.
MS: I was reading about some of the influences of the album, and it seems like a big influence was the transition from youth to adult. What about this transition made it all tangible for you?
NH: I dont know, I think that there are a lot of transitions going on in my life all over the place. We are getting more recognition as a band and there is also the transition with the new label. Our lives are changing. I think that all of that, I dont know, its hard to say that there is any one moment that makes it a tangible one. We are doing what we can do to figure it out and make sense of it all.
MS: Touring to me is like life in a fast forward moment while your real life stands still. You guys toured so much on your last album. How did you manage to grow up while you did the constant touring?
NH:(laughs): I think thats maybe a question, whether or not we are grown up. A lot of things have changed around us, but sometimes it feels like we still are like four kids in a living room still trying to make rent.
A lot of things have changed, but I still feel inside that we are four guys that like music and like playing together. We notice it more in the mornings, after partying or something. Sometimes you have to pinch yourself when you realize that, oh my gosh, youve been doing it for 8 years. Youre not as young as you once were in your 20s.
MS: Whats life been like after the OC?
NH: Surprisingly, pretty much the same. I think that the OC, Six Feet Under, movie soundtracks and all that, have been great, but you still have a lot to worry about. I dont think those shows have made the band a household name. Not much has changed. We have a lot of touring to do, and I dont think that we ever thought it was ever going to be much. Modest Mouse, they seemed to have a good time, the Walkmen, they seemed to have a pretty good time, so we figured why not?
MS:I think maybe youre more of a household name than you probably realize.
NH: Its hard to have that objective view on yourself.
MS:Do you get recognized when you go out?
NH: Yes, but thank goodness its not ever weird or creepy.
MS: Do you ever have any stalkers?
NH: None yet no, thank goodness. Our fans arent like that, yet.
MS: You played on the vote for change tour with Pearl Jam, and you guys are from Seattle. Pearl Jam are a Seattle legend.
NH: It was fantastic, that band was great, I remember seeing them when I was a kid. We have a lot of admiration for them. They figured out the way to become who they are, and we were just a small band that was opening for them. They treated everyone around them so well, they extended every courtesy to us, they were nice and down to earth, and it was super refreshing to be around people that were so influential. For such influential musicians, they were humble, and it was great. Unfotunately we didnt change the world like we thought we were all going to.
MS: What was your reaction to the result of the election?
NH: We were certainly disappointed and discouraged, and even months and days after then, we continued to have this I TOLD YOU SO mentality. What is it that the Bush administration is doing in New Orleans right now? It's terrible. You spent 2 days with this during this disaster on VACATION! You should have been there. It tears me up to see so many people hurting and that need help.
MS: It's sad to see that they don't have any hope, that there was no plan of action at all, even foreseeable, it's extremely frustrating.
NH: We are one of the wealthiest countries in this world and we should be able to take care of these things and take care of each other. There are a lot of factors, but there shouldn't continue to be people dying after the fact of this tragedy.
This is all an extension of wishing that the outcome of this election had turned out a little bit differently.
MS: You guys took a long break after the photo album, after the Postal Service was started and Chris produced a bunch of albums.
After the break, you guys recorded your best-selling album yet. How was the break, the time off of making music inspiring to you?
NH: One of the secrets to our mental health and sanity in the band is the fact that we all recognize that we realize have something very special between us. It's important and very dear to our hearts, but it's ok to take a break from that, and get reinspired and refreshed in working with other artists, writing with other people. Being part of another creative process.
We came back from our respective field trips and it made it very interesting and very exciting.
MS: You guys worked well with Jason McGerr, your drummer, but it seemed like it took awhile to get a drummer that stuck. Why is it so hard to keep a drummer?
NH: I have no idea, that's one of the great mysteries of life, but..
MS: It's like Spinal Tap.
NH: Yes, it's exactly like Spinal Tap!
NH: I don't know why it took us so long, but for whatever reason, things lined up with Jason and it clicked, we knew it. The chemistry, the energy that happens when we are together is undeniable.
At this point, we wouldn't be a band if it weren't for Jason.
MS: So the name Death Cab for Cutie comes from the Magical Mystery tour movie, right? Were you a big Beatles fan and are they a big influence on Death Cab?
NH: Yeah, we are all huge Beatles fans. They made some of the most amazing records in rock and roll offered today. They never got played out, and this is something that admired and we studied for a long time.
I'm not exactly sure how anyone can be in rock and roll today and not be somehow influenced by the Beatles. I think that they changed a lot about how music was played and presented and explored. It boggles my mind sometimes when you think about at how much that band has had on music culture.
MS: What's the process for songwriting? The lyrics are amazing, do they come first, or does the music come first? Or do they just all come together?
NH: I think that the lyrics and music come simultaneously. Melody is a hard thing to separate from music. I think that most of the stuff comes together simultaneously for Ben. As a band, our impact on the songs is more in the arrangement, it depends on the music, the nature of the song. The adding and subtracting of things here and there. We do that all in the name of the lyric, it's the focus of our songs, we focus around that.
MS: Rumor has it that you're a big comic book fan?
NH: That's true.
MS: Who are some of your favorite artists?
MS: One of my all-time favorite artists is Bill Finkowitz, he does occasional one-offs, he did a Daredevil and Electra graphic novel. He did Stray Coasters in the 90's, I think it's fantastically drawn, I love it and adore it. The story is strange and great.
One of my favorite writers of all time is Alan Moore who wrote the Watchman, Vendetta, and From Hell, which was made into a so-so Hollywood movie, although the comic was fantastic.
MS:Are you going to see the Natalie Portman movie for Vendetta?
NH:Of course! I've got to check it out. Maybe they'll get it right. Sometimes movies actually do get it right. I was actually scared when X-men came out, as for the Wolverine character, he's one of my favorites of all time, I was afraid about this guy I've never heard of, Hugh Jackman. What if he gets it wrong, but I think he did a really great job!
MS: He has such a range, from his Broadway career to Wolverine, he manages to do it all.
NH: So true.
MS: I think I just have one more question. I'm from Suicide Girls, and when I talked to the label, they said that you were a fan of SG. Had you heard of us before?
NH: Oh, absolutely. We actually, some friends and I, we saw the tour in Los Angeles, of all places, it was great. I saw the ad for the DVD, and I think we'll pick that up for the bus.
Keep doing what you're doing, keep up the good work, your website is fantastic and great!
Death Cab for Cutie's new album is out NOW, and it's called Plans.
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God I love DC