With their latest album, Death Cab for Cutie are still aiming for the same place – your heart. On the eve of their Australian tour, drummer Jason McGerr spoke to Garrett Bithell from Seattle.

Ben Gibbard, singer-songwriter for seminal Seattle indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie, has an almost supernatural knack of penning songs that speak to the heartbroken masses. And this is no more apparent than on their latest long player, Narrow Stairs, Death Cab’s sixth studio album, but the first for a major label (Atlantic), and the first to debut at Number 1 in the US. Although the band’s last album, Plans, went platinum – and they occupied the almost awkward position of being one of the few indie rock outfits to rake in so many sales.

“He’s got a sixth sense for the things that a lot of people think but are afraid to say,” drummer Jason McGerr says of Gibbard.

“He’s a great narrator and very observant of people and the things around him – he’s poetic when it comes to putting those things into lyrics that people can fit into their own lives.

 “So that’s not to say that everything he writes is a personal story – it’s not. Sometimes it’s just being a bystander and watching things happen.”

After spending much of 2006 in the midst of turbulent tour cycle in support of their Grammy-nominated Plans, Death Cab took a well-deserved break during the first part of 2007. And McGerr, ever the handy man, actually built his own studio – Two Sticks – where the first half of Narrow Stairs was recorded.

“I enjoying building and constructing things, and I started to see that there was potential for it to be more a commercial space, and not just my little private studio,” he tells AXN.

“So I just went for it and kept my head down in time to get back together to rehearse for Death Cab stuff, and we actually ended up rehearsing there.

“Everyone signed off on it and thought that it felt really good, so we did the first five weeks of the record there. It comes from spending a lot of time in recording studios, and knowing what you like and what you don’t like. For example, do you see the sky and know whether it’s night or day? Having skylights helps. It’s not in the hippest part of town so it had to be really comfy – you had to feel like just on the other side of the wall was a beach like Byron Bay!”

Narrow Stairs was recorded entirely on two-inch tape, thus limiting the amount of overdubs. “I love Plans, and the record did great, but there’s more of a live stage energy and grit to this album – it’s loose in the best possible way,” McGerr muses.

“It sounds like four guys making music in a room – that’s the biggest difference.

“And the thing with tape is you really have to commit to your performance.” Part of that commitment was embracing happy accidents during recording, such as when producer-guitarist Chris Walla tripped over a cable and unplugged Nick Harmer’s bass on ‘I Will Possess Your Heart’ – something you can actually hear at the beginning of the track on the album.

Death Cab are returning to Australian shores this month as part of worldwide tour on the back of Narrow Stairs, which debuted at Number 6 on the ARIA chart. “Expect lots of cool, energetic shows,”

McGerr says. “They’re smaller venues so it’ll be a frantic and tight and sweaty rock ’n’ roll thing.

“I love Australia – we’re actually showing up early so we can spend more time there.”

But above all, McGerr is wallowing happily and confidently in a strong and highly cohesive Death Cab. “We’ve got a great way of working together with Chris being an engineer and a producer, and me having the studio – plus everyone self-produces their own performances. And we get along great as a band. So that coupled with a plethora or demos and a great, generous songwriter who’s willing to let the songs change and mutate and be whatever they may be for the record has made this process really fun.”  

Do yourself a favour and nab tickets to one of Death Cab’s Aussie gigs if you can – these guys are awesome.

Death Cab For Cutie play The Palace in Melbourne on August 17, Enmore Theatre in Sydney on August 18, Metropolis in Freemantle on August 20, and The Tivoli in Brisbane on August 22. For more information visit deathcabforcutie.com or myspace.com/deathcabforcutie 

Narrow Stairs is out now.