As one of the defining indie-rock bands of the 21st century, Death Cab for Cutie have spent the last 30 years defying every possible expectation. Formed in 1997 in Bellingham, Washington, Death Cab for Cutie were initially the quintessential underdog college-radio act, anchored by co-founder, frontman, and lead songwriter Ben Gibbard’s achingly earnest, erudite (yet still accessible) lyricism that drew inspiration from ‘80s alternative tastemakers The Smiths, The Cure, second-wave emo progenitors Sunny Day Real Estate, lo-fi acoustic hero Elliott Smith, Northwest contemporaries Modest Mouse, and introspective rock heads Built To Spill.