Q&A With Chris Walla
Today your regular bloggers have been replaced by Ben, Chris, Nick, and Jason of Death Cab For Cutie. The band's new album Narrow Stairs is out now. DCFC are not professional bloggers, so please send them tips.
By Chris Walla
Thanks for the e-mails everyone. I'm getting to as many as I can. Y'all rawk, and et cetera. This question came in from Chelsea, from a land I know not.
From: Chelsea Byrd
Date: Tue, May 20, 2008 at 1:03 PM
Subject: A question
To: dcfc@stereogum.com
Soooo....
First of all, I must say that I am rather excited that all of you are taking over stereogum for the day! Secondly, congratulations on a KICK ASS album; I bought it May 13, and I cannot stop listening to it {I really love "Grapevine Fires" and the rawness of "Talking Bird"--good production call, Chris!}
On to my question: I was watching the studio video recording of "Long Division" and I noticed that on the keyboard Chris kept two polaroid pictures... What are the of? What is their significance?
Holla back! ;o)
Peace n' love,
Chelsea
Happy you're enjoying the album Chelsea - thank you.
Our photographer friend Ryan Russell came up from Birmingham, Alabama to shoot that in-studio thing we did. Those are two Polaroids from his town. We haven't spent all that much time down there, but I'd like to go back. Sticky heat.
Post more questions in the comments. I can answer them.
UPDATE: Another question:
From: bionic bigfoot
Date: Tue, May 20, 2008 at 2:23 PM
Subject: Questions for the band
To: dcfc@stereogum.com
Ben- Will "Casino Blues" or the so-called "Lovely Affair" song about death ever see the light of day
Chris-Not so much a question, but a comment--you have the best hair in rock
Nick-Rumor has it you are quite the geek. What summer blockbusters are you looking forward to? Any new comics we should be checking out? Have you seen "Being Human" yet? It's a BBC drama about a werewolf, a vampire and a ghost who live together. Supernatural hijinks ensue. Seek it out via Youtube.
Jason-Who is your favorite drummer, and why
Embarrasing bonus question (for Nick and Jason) - We all know you like the ladies, but how does it feel to be sex symbols in the gay bear community?
Keep up the amazing work guys!
Chris
Thanks again for all the questions. Short answers:
- "Casino Blues" might surface.
- Kim Namanny at 220 does my hair.
- Nick's response is coming...
- Two of Jason's sixty-six favorite drummers are Lee Harris and Jim Keltner.
Bears... Wild and strong, mysterious like thieves and pastry chefs.
Posted at 1:45 PM in Death Cab Guest Blog
Tags: Chris Walla | Death Cab For Cutie
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Hey there. I'm enjoying the website today with you guys. I saw you last week in Chicago for the wxrt live show. Do you enjoy these little radio interviews traveling around day after day, or has it become a hassle yet? Do you wish you could play more than five songs, or do you just want to get out of there? Great show, by the way.
Take care,
Doug
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Hi Doug -
The radio things can be weird sometimes, but usually they're pretty fun. That one was pretty great - XRT is one of the stations that 'gets it', as it were. Staffed with nice fellows who actually like music a lot.
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hi there!
I illegally downloaded your new album from the World Wide Web when it came out - actually, it was maybe slightly BEFORE the release date?
Anyway, what are your thoughts on this type of activity? Like it? Hate it?
Also, I'm sure you're aware of the craziness that went on in the underworld of the blogosphere in regards to the constant stream of fake Narrow Stairs that were distributed. Were the band involved in this, or did you get any enjoyment out of watching the pirates squirm?
Thanks!!
PS - just to clarify, I HAVE ordered the album from a legal website, and paid for it in legal tender since I downloaded it. I usually download first, then buy if I like it. I have physical copies of all DCFC albums and am not planning to stop here. Well done on the new songs.
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speaking of your solo album, do you see yourself touring solo in the near future? if not, do you think you'd ever play a couple of those jams with at a DCfC show?
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Touring is unlikely anytime soon, and it's near impossible that we'd play one of my songs at a DCfC show. Because, as you well know, that's not the point. I'd be pissed if I ordered apples and got grapes, for example.
That said, thank you, and I'm happy you like the records. Wheee!!
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Hello Mr. Walla,
I to am also from the puget sound, and boy do i have a question for you.
-Grapes or apples?
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Apples!! Gravensteins, to be specific. There's a three week window, late every summer, when they're perfect. All the other apples are but sorry pretenders.
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I've been wondering this for a long time. The song you wrote, New Candles, for the album You Can Play These Songs With Chords is really good! The thing I've been wondering is if you've ever performed that song with the band. If you havent, why not? If you have, when was the last time you did?
Before I submit this commit I'd like to thank you guys for the great music you've put out. The new album is amazing! Good luck with your future projects!
Oh, and i hope you're doing well! Thanks for reading my comment!
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Hey Victoria.
New Candles is in that little collection of songs we may never play on a stage (Coney Island is in there, as is Information Travels Faster, Tomorrow, et cetera). It just doesn't feel like it would work.
Be well, yo.
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Thanks so much for responding to my comment!
You guys are amazing and I can't wait to see you in Santa Barbara!
Oh! Thanks for the caring hand gesture at the show in Berkeley on August 11, 2006! I made a sign for you guys and it meant a lot that you and Nick acknowledged it. I felt a little nerdy holding it up but it was worth it to see that you guys appreciated it. Thanks!
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Hey there! Thanks for doing this!
Narrow Stairs definitely feels like more of a throwback to your older material, which is something I love. Less production, more awesome band rocking. Was this a conscious decision when you guys were in the planning stages of the record? How much did your initial vision of where this album was headed plan out?
Second. What kind of software/hardware do you, as a producer, feel is absolutely necessary for the budding one man musician? What do you personally use?
Once again, thanks so much for doing this. Narrow Stairs is really good. Take care!
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I'd like to second the question about your software/hardware recommendations.
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Hey Jarrett!
It was kind of a conscious decision to rock it out in the studio, yeah. Very satisfying to make that kind of a mess behind the microphones.
As for software... I'm sad to say you're asking the wrong person. I like RADAR a lot, and I like tape; either of those is a great way to go.
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Hey guys - I saw your "show" for Sound Opinions last week in Chicago which I have to say made me appreciate you and your talent even more - which is saying a lot since you have been my favorite band since I first listened to you. btw - Chris, I got Field Manual this week and LOVE IT!! I can't stop watching the video for 'Sing Again'!
Sooo, I have 2 quick questions: (1) How do you decide on the order of tracks on your albums - I always think they're perfectly sequenced but wondered how you reached the final decision to order them that way. Also (2) Chris - what is the picture of on the back of the liner notes for Field Manual - might be a dumb question but I can't tell if there is something else there to see or not.
Thanks! xoxox Annie
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Hi Annie -
Sound Opinions was SO much fun. Totally relaxed and off-the-cuff... I think it'll be a great piece of radio when it's all produced and edited.
Running order for a DCfC record is a largely democratic process, usually driven by whoever seems to have the strongest opinion. That's kind of how we do lots of stuff actually.
And that credits photo... There's this thing in Australia called The Big Banana. I've been sworn to secrecy beyond that, but the photo is from there.
Thanks!
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Bananas in Pajamas!
that show in aired in America years ago in the 90s eaaaarly in the morning (before school started!). and then a horribly edited, frighteningly bad dub of Sailor Moon came on afterwards. Highlander The Animated Series may have still been on the weekly roster around that time too...
anyway, those bananas freaked me out
FIELD MANUAL is wonderful btw! i can't get enough of "Geometry & C" though i was hoping for a finished version of "Connection & C" ...
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My question for you Christopher is the following:
I first heard the song "Cath" on Ben Gibbard's solo acoustic tour last summer. I thought to myself, this is a pretty flawless song, and I hoped that it would go unchanged when it was put on to Narrow Stairs. However, I was proven wrong. I'm wondering how do you take an acoustic song like that, fit for one person with a guitar, and translate it to fit a whole band? Was this a difficult process? You still managed to keep the foundations of the song essentially the same while meanwhile adding musical layers to it.
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Hey Omar -
'Cath' is a song that stayed much like Ben's original demo - there are two or three songs on each record that don't really change much from his original rendering. We sped it up a little and Jason, especially, made some arrangement tweaks, but it's pretty true otherwise.
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Hi Chris,
What records have you and the other members of DCfC been listening to recently?
Best,
Mike
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Mike -
Records. I know Ben's been on a big Gene Clark trip of late. George Jones as well. I don't know quite what Jason's been into... Nick has a copy of the new My Morning Jacket record I think. I bet that's on repeat. For me - Telekinesis!, a band from Portland called Bell Plaines (link below), and the first three WIre records.
www.myspace.com/bellplaines
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well... the previous commentators asked my questions already (ie Jarrett and alex) so my question is just to clear up a rumor as fact or fiction. i heard you are producing the next Tegan and Sara album. is this true? i loved the work you did on The Con. Thanks
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Hi Dave!
I sure hope to produce the next T&S record. That's up to them. I'm there if they want me to be - they're amazing.
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I'd actually like to commend you guys on the iron tight control you had on the release of this album, and am curious about the decisions involved on the way. I'm a total news junkie, and have been known on occasion to try and find advance copies of CD's online and otherwise, but yours was no where to be found. If I remember correctly, three key media sources had reviews very early on, but that was it. Then the single, then Pitty and Fear via NPR about three weeks back, and in the 48 hours leading up to the release there was a legitimate streaming version publicly available, I think via MTV initially. I'm really impressed with the rollout, and it made for a much bigger impact when the CD was finally released. Was the April fools fake leak really a serendipitous happening? It worked so well in your favor. The anticipation was great, and I'm so happy for all of you. It's a fantastic album well-worth the wait. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the whole release/publicity process.
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Hello, Paige K. Parsons.
Crazy to get that kind of feedback - I think I should thank you? Thank you!
Atlantic has done a great job of keeping this whole leak thing together. I think they've also learned that, if there's a leak, maybe the best thing to do is turn on the faucet (as with the Gnarls Barkley record, for example).
Sincerely,
Christopher R. Walla
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Death Cab, you rock my world. The new album is fantastic, I was like a kid on Christmas morning when it landed on my doorstep.
Chris, I know you live in Portland. I gotta know your favorite hang out. It better be Powell's. :]
Ben, you don't look like Rainn Wilson. Don't listen to the Times. You're a 10.
See you at Sasquatch!!
Peace & Love,
Your #1 fan ;]
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Hey Sharde -
Dude - no shit about the Rainn Wilson bit. Really.
- Chris
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I mean, really!! Really?? It's so ridiculous.
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Hey Chris,
I love Narrow Stairs! So far my favorite songs are "Grapevine Fires", "Long Division", and "Your New Twin Sized Bed". I was fortunate enough to get to see you guys play an amazing show last month in Eugene and you were nice enough to stop and take a picture with my friends and I after the show; thanks! Anyways, I gave you a paper with a game of "would you rather..." to play (because it is one of my favorite games ever) and I've been dying to know if you happened to play it? Do you remember getting it? Thanks.
Take Care, Lainey
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Hi, Lainey -
Happy you like the record. I remember this paper... lots of turtles and spots and sea creatures and the like. Thanks for that. You should spend some time with Sid & Marty Krofft (yes, with two 'f's)... Do a search on YouTube.
Thank you!
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Hey, I think it's great that you guys are taking over this site for a day. :) I was wondering what is your favorite song from "Narrow Stairs"? Also, what was the experience like recording a solo album? What is your favorite song off "Field Manual"?
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Hi, Anna -
My favorite song on Narrow Stairs is 'The Ice Is Getting Thinner', I think. My jam on Field Manual is 'It's Unsustainable'... Recording a solo record is a kind of torture. Don't do it.
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Hey guys,
I have read in the past few weeks you guys commented on the pressure and stress you went through switching to a major record label, and I was just wondering how has that translated in terms of commercial radio and how you feel about it? I used to work for a commercial station in Detroit and they never played you until you came onto the major record label. Do you feel that commercialism tries to put pressure on you to make more radio-friendly music?
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Hey there -
It's a funny thing... With 'Plans', we were really conscious of the major label transition, though we really played it down (even internally, with one another). I think it did affect the music, to a degree. But this new record was made in something of a vacuum, like all our records were before we made the jump - just for ourselves. That's how we're most comfortable, and I think it's how we operate the best.
- Chris
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GINGER BAKER!
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And Jack Bruce. Agreed.
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Hi guys,
I just saw your show at the WFNX best music poll, second time I have seen you live. Simply amazing...even better than the first time, which in all honesty I did not think was even possible.
My question is directed towards Ben:
Ben, will we ever ever see a new postal service album? please?
I simply love your work w/ DCFC and your solo tour was amazing but I have a craving for more dntel and ben gibbard goodness.
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Hi Brandon -
I think Ben's most recent assessment of the next Postal Service record is accurate: It's the indie rock Chinese Democracy - you can believe it when you see it, but if you hold your breath, you'll surely suffocate.
- Chris
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chris - yr cover of the AMC song "Sick of Food" was beautiful. What's yr fave AMC album? and in the decades old war of American Music Club and Red House Painters, on which side do you fall?
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Hi Derek -
So great you should ask, as the new AMC and Sun Kil Moon records came out so close to one another!
Were I forced to pick, I'd choose the Red House Painters. I found AMC by way of RHP - it's not that I love one over the other; rather, it's that first love sort of thing. The two self-titled RHP records are my favorites, and my favorite AMC record is San Francisco (which seems controversial, but I could never figure out why).
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Ryan Russell is a complete DOUCHEBAG!!
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hey guys, i'm really liking narrow stairs more than the last album because i feel as if your new record incorporates all the elements of all your past records. can't wait to hear grapevine fires live in chicago!
chris- who are your favorite producers right now?
ben- who else would you like to tour with?
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chirs-
I I saw you guys in Providence a couple weeks and I have to say you guys were awesome live and it just blew me away. I just have to say that the new album is amazing and I also loved your solo album, you never fail to disappoint! I cannot wait to see see you guys again, when ever that may be. But any way as I was watching everyone I stage I noticed that you stood out from everyone else in the band. While they were all rocking out hard core to the music, you seemed off in your own little world and looked very calm on stage. What goes through your hard while you are on stage and have you ever noticed that you contrasted from the and members in this way while on stage?
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Hey Chris. I wanted to ask, is there a difference in how you approach the production of your solo album, a Death Cab album, or an album by a different artist? Also, what are the differences between a solo song by you or Ben, and a Death Cab song?
Thanks for reading; the new album is really great, and some of the songs there easily rank with my favourites.
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Hey Chris,
Were there any tracks you guys had a tough time deciding whether or not it should make the album? If so, how was it finally decided? Any regrets?
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Hey Chris!
How do you feel about playing Red Rocks in Colorado? The venue is my favorite place to see music and was ecstatic when I heard you guys booked a night. My friends and I are going to be lining up about 6 hours early to try and get front row. Think "Brothers on a Hotel Bed" could make an appearance?
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It's really cool what you guys have going on here. I love the music! I have a friend that is going to the concert in Utah on Memorial Day and he is needing to purpose to his girl, (They are Huge Fans) Would you guys be able to heip my buddy Chris purpose, It would make her tha happiest person in the world.
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Left a message. How can i get on the Obama Conference Calls?!!! Hit a brutha back!
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Chances are you have stopped answering these, but I figure it's worth a try.
I've been a huge fan since Transatlanticism came out, and I have to say I identify so much with those songs--making it my personal favorite album (seriously Ben--"Title and Registration" pretty much is the tale of my life).
So, my question is: which album for you guys has been your favorite in and out of production?
(and you don't have to answer this if you don't want to, but do you ever listen to your own songs just to enjoy them like you would any other artist? I seriously have always wondered this, haha)
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It looks like this Q&A is over, but I still want to try and get you to solve something that's been nagging me: Is Roskilde hiding you guys up their "last minute act" sleeves or will you not be able to fit in Denmark before you go to Norway or after you leave Sweden this year? It would be perfect, and you guys looked you had a great time last time you were here...
Oh, and will you be involved in any upcoming Decemberists releases?
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Chris,
Have you guys seen Flight of the Conchords at all? I was wondering if a) you guys enjoyed the show and b) and how you thought about the show as musicians?
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Hiya Chris-
I don't mean to take any attention away from you or the band, but I actually have a question about that good ole band the Prom. You may remember my question that I messaged you via Myspace this summer that asked whether or not Ben sang on "Now and Then". You dubbed it the most random question you've ever received. Anyways, I was wondering: Do you know what James and company are up to these days? All we internet people have is that brief paragraph on Barsuk's site. Any help would be appreciated. Also, I'd love to hear your opinion on the new Sun Kil Moon record/ Mark Kozelek.
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hey!!
I hope it's not too late for the Q and A thing, well i just wanted to say u should come to play in MEXICO!!!
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I've been analyzing for a while now. I would lie to know the meaning behind "Brothers on a Hotel Bed". I have my view of it all but its been my one deeply burning question for you since its your handy-work.
My take is that it is much like brothers, to lay there in the dark and without saying a word, you know that person loves you for exactly who you are. Also, I think it tells the story of knowing there is something much more for a relationship but nobody is willing talk about what it is and that relationship are growing apart.
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hey chris!
thanks for the little Q&A you put on, very cool.
i have a request that will most likely go unfulfilled, but i have to try:
release the sound of settling demo and a lot of people will love you for it.
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guys seriously-great album. you should be proud. to me it seems the underlying current in the observations ben makes in his lyrics speaks to the absurdity of human existence, looking slightly through a lens of romantic relationships, love, loss...chris, nick, jason-do any of you have any input on the lyrics? to what extent?
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Chris, I read the NY Times article last week that talked about your fascination with Buddha. I work at Virgin Comics, and we share your interest in Buddha so much so that we have a monthly comic book adaptation of Deepak Chopra's novel Buddha! You guys comic book readers? http://blog.virgincomics.com/2008/05/23/indie-rockers-heart-buddha/
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My submissions: ,
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