MAY 13, 2008
The band releases their highest performing
album to date: Narrow Stairs. The Chris
Walla produced sixth studio album peaked at
No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart during the
first week of its release, and produced the
Grammy nominated single “I Will Possess
Your Heart.” The album was also nominated
for Best Alternative Music Album.
FEBRUARY 8, 2009
Although they did not win a Grammy in
either category, Death Cab makes waves by
wearing blue ribbons in protest against
auto-tune. In an article posted the day after
the event, SPIN reported Gibbard saying,
“We just want to raise awareness while
we’re here and try to bring back the blue
note… The note that’s not so perfectly in
pitch and just gives the recording some soul
and some kind of real character. It’s how
people really sing.”
APRIL 14, 2009
The Open Door EP is released, including
tracks recorded during the same time as
Narrow Stairs. The EP peaks at No. 30 on
the Billboard 200, and is later nominated for
the Best Alternative Music Album category
at the Grammys.
FEBRUARY, 2010
The Lonely Forest, hailing from Seattle,
is the first band to sign onto Chris Walla’s
label Trans- Records – an imprint
of Atlantic Records.
APRIL 14,
2014
Photo Credit: Barsuk
APRIL 5, 2011
Following the release of single “You Are A
Tourist” in late March, Death Cab makes
history by recording the first ever live,
scripted, one-take music video. Directed by
Tim Nackashi, the video was shot on
multiple cameras and was not edited as it
was streamed live online.
MAY 31, 2011
The band’s least guitar-centric album, Codes
and Keys, is released, debuting at No. 3 on
the Billboard 200 chart. Recorded in eight
different studios across the West Coast and
Canada, it is a step away from what the
band is used to. It is also the first album not
mixed by Walla – while Walla remained the
producer, Alan Moulder took over mixing.
Once again, album was later nominated for
the Best Alternative Music Album category
at the Grammys.
OCTOBER 16, 2011
A track entitled “Meet Me on the Equinox”
by Death Cab is played during the end
credits of the blockbuster hit The Twilight
Saga: New Moon and is included in the
official soundtrack.
2012
Death Cab for Cutie took on a rigorous
touring schedule, playing internationally
as well as in the U.S. Over the course of
the year, they toured with Codes and Keys
collaborators the Magik*Magik Orchestra,
headlined the first Bunbury Music Festival
AUGUST 13,
2014
Photo Credit: Atlantic
in Cincinnati, Ohio, and completed a festival
circuit in Europe.
OCTOBER 11, 2013
It is reported that the band has begun
recording their next studio album with the
producer Rich Costey (rather than Chris
Walla,) and it is later confirmed on the
band’s Instagram page.
OCTOBER 29, 2013
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the
band’s most beloved work, a remastered
edition of Transatlanticism is released
including demo versions of every track.
APRIL 14, 2014
The band’s first and only full-length live
album, entitled Live 2012, is released by
Death Cab for Cutie on Record Store Day.
It is only available as a vinyl release and
included live recordings of tour dates with
Magik*Magik Orchestra.
AUGUST 13, 2014
Fans are surprised when Chris Walla
announces he is performing for the last time
ever with Death Cab that night at the
Rifflandia Music Festival in British
Columbia, Canada. However, he confirms at
a later date that he was involved completely
with the recording of Kintsugi. There are
no hard feelings between the members as a
result of Walla’s departure, following his 17
years spent with the band.
JUNE 12,
2018
Photo Credit: Atlantic