Death Cab for Cutie is at the top of their game. With their most recent album, Plans, entering the charts at number four last year, the band has been touring nonstop to sold-out venues across the country. With the highly anticipated Death Cab and Franz Ferdinand show at Cameron Indoor Stadium just around the corner, Death Cab bassist Nick Harmer took some time out to chat with recess music editor Matt Dearborn about their co-headliners, rocking stadiums and a few painful experiences they've had at other college campuses.
recess: Has your newfound popularity had any affect on you?
Nick Harmer: On some level, whatever you do in life affects you. But in regards to the situation we're currently in, I guess that it's just been surreal for us. I've always wanted to have a career in music, and to some extent, sometimes it's nice to sit back and realize that we're living the dream that we never thought would come true. The change was never sudden; it's been a slow and methodical build for us. But in the end, as with everything in life, you have to take things in stride-it's fun while it lasts, but it can't last forever.
Do you think that since you've been in the independent scene for so long that you have, in a sense, earned the popularity?
I don't know if earning it is the right way to say it. I don't think that anyone deserves anything in life. It's nice to feel the validation after so many years of hard work, but I don't know if we've earned anything. In fact, I think of it more as being in the right place at the right time.
Have you had to change your music at all to fit in with the mainstream?
Hell no. That was the spirit behind the transition from Barsuk [Records] to Atlantic [Records]. Had the situation been different, we wouldn't have gone for it. We had been making records for six years and had complete creative control during all of those years, so we weren't about to change that. In terms of our music, no one's making the calls but us. And I understand that some of our fans from before aren't as happy with our music, but it's just a natural progression. People change, we've changed, and we've gotten older and more mature. If someone wants to see our music as art or a commodity, it's up to them. We're just the ones making the music.
You've played on a few college campuses. Is the atmosphere any different than in clubs?
It can be. Obviously, the settings are different. Clubs are always a lot dirtier and nastier, but the upside is that you can have alcohol in them. In the end, it all comes down to the audience. So on a real basic level, there's no real difference.
Where it becomes a different experience is in the smaller things. For example, we've had to get ready in locker rooms before and had to take showers in those group gym showers. That sucked. But the show itself is always pretty similar. It's just me and three other guys playing songs. Oh, and there are usually some lights and stuff.
Does the fact that you're now rocking stadiums carry any meaning for you?
It carries a ton of meaning. It's a great place to be in our music, but it's a real mind-f---, and it's crazy to think that we've come this far. But we're learning just like anybody else; we're learning what we're comfortable with and what environments we like. I can't tell you if I prefer stadiums or small, dirty clubs. You never know if you're gonna be happy in certain situations unless you try them out.
Are you happy right now?
Absolutely. It's obviously not a perfect science, and there are always benefits of staying smaller, but like I said we've been able to retain control over what we create and that's all that really matters. It's just taken some getting used to, and there are a lot more people to meet and more red tape to get by, but overall, I can't complain.
What do you think about Franz Ferdinand?
They're great guys. We met them a few years ago right when they were getting popular. We're not making the same kind of music, but that kind of thing makes for a more interesting show. We like to tour with people who treat themselves and other people with respect, and they do that. They're professional and are serious about what they do. They're huge now, and they've still been able to keep humble, and I think that's admirable.
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