Album Essentials: The Postal Service "Give Up"
By Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor
What happens when your “side project” gains momentum and takes off down the road unexpectedly? You roll with it, and let it go! Just ask acclaimed singer/songwriter Ben Gibbard, of Death Cab For Cutie, who in 2003, took a break from DCFD to work on some other ideas, which would become The Postal Service. Eventually, an album, 'Give Up,’ was created, which would capture the hearts of many, selling over a million copies. Not bad for vacation from their day gig!
Released by Sub Pop, in early 2003, 'Give Up' was the culmination of a collaboration of Gibbard and musical pal James Tamborello (sometimes known as 'Dntl'). Though the duo hardly pursued this as a full-time thing, little by little, fans began to notice there was something interesting going on here. Singles like 'Such Great Heights' and 'We Will Become Silhouettes' helped gain indie/college radio play, while well placed appearances in various ads, films, etc., gradually got the Postal Service noticed. Though it may have taken a longer road to get there, the album would ultimately sell over a million copies.
The electronic based style of the duo seemed to stand alone, while simultaneously sounding familiar and sparklingly new. It was, in many ways, the sound of 90's 'electronica,' bringing along 80's synth pop, on a cinematic road trip. If it weren't for the electronic instrumentation, 'Such Great Heights' could/would have been a Death Cab hit with its upbeat, catchy vibe. In fact, it did become a 'hit' by a less traditional set of criteria says Gibbard. "It was a trip for me to have this song become, not so much a hit in the Billboard sense of the word, but certainly a hit in the sense that, every coffee shop I walked into, it was playing," recalled Gibbard. "Every bar, every store I walked into, it was playing. It just became this ubiquitous piece of music."
The colors in the paint box may have changed, but the pop instincts of Gibbard remained in place. With Gibbard in Seattle, and Tamborello in L.A., the collaboration took shape via home demos sent back and forth to each other via, you know it, the U.S. mail. "We just worked like that off and on," recalled Gibbard in a recent interview. "I would do these demos in Pro-Tools, do a bunch of vocals, guitars, maybe some keyboard bits, do a rough mix, then send it back to Jimmy."
The creative process would continue on this path until this batch of material would become the album 'Give Up.' Gibbard had become a fan of the band Rilo Kiley, and out of the blue, he approached their singer, Jenny Lewis, about adding some vocals to the songs. Rilo Keily and Death Cab were, at the time, on the same label, so Gibbard tracked Lewis down and asked her if she would be interested in taking part in this project. Much to his surprise, she was "totally into it," with her distinct vocals adding a much needed element to the sound, and creating an ongoing friendship.
It was a case of the right music at the right time, and it just caught people by surprise. It is interesting to note that 'Give Up' remains Sup Pop's biggest selling album in their history, second only to Nirvana's 'Bleach.'