Ben Gibbard

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Ben Gibbard
Death cab for cutie münchen 21.11.2008. 1.jpg
Gibbard performing with Death Cab for Cutie in 2008
Background information
Birth name Benjamin Gibbard
Born (1976-08-11) August 11, 1976 (age 48)
Bremerton, Washington
Genres Alternative rock, indie rock, synthpop
Occupation(s) Singer, songwriter, guitarist
Instruments Guitar, vocals, piano, drums, bass
Years active 1994–present
Labels Barsuk, Atlantic, Sub Pop, Wawa
Associated acts Death Cab for Cutie, The Postal Service, ¡All-Time Quarterback!, Pinwheel, Dntel, Pedro the Lion, Kind of Like Spitting
Website benjamingibbard.net

Benjamin "Ben" Gibbard (born August 11, 1976)[1] is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is best known as the lead vocalist and guitarist of the indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie, with whom he has recorded eight studio albums, and as one half of the electronica duo the Postal Service. Gibbard released his debut solo album, Former Lives, in 2012, and a collaborative studio album, One Fast Move or I'm Gone (2009), with Uncle Tupelo and Son Volt's Jay Farrar.

While performing guitar in the band Pinwheel, Gibbard recorded a demo cassette under the moniker Death Cab for Cutie, entitled You Can Play These Songs with Chords (1997). After receiving a positive response to the material, Gibbard expanded the project into a full band, with the addition of Chris Walla (guitar), Nick Harmer (bass) and Nathan Good (drums). The following year, the band released its debut album, Something About Airplanes (1998), on Barsuk Records, and released its follow-up, We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes, in 2000.

Life and career

Gibbard was born in Bremerton, Washington, where he spent his formative years, during the time of the grunge music explosion in the early 1990s. He graduated from Olympic High School in 1994. He also cites Jack Kerouac as a major influence.[2] He studied engineering at Western Washington University.[3] He was raised Roman Catholic and referred to himself as "this indoctrinated Catholic even though I haven't been to church of my own volition in 10 or 15 years now."[4] In a 2003 interview Gibbard stated that while he had previously been a vegan, he had recently become a pescetarian.[5]

He had a small role in the John Krasinski film Brief Interviews with Hideous Men based on the David Foster Wallace short story collection of the same title.[6] He completed a solo tour through the US in the spring of 2007 that featured David Bazan of Pedro the Lion and singer-songwriter Johnathan Rice.

Gibbard became engaged to actress and musician Zooey Deschanel in 2008. The couple married in September 2009 near Seattle, Washington.[7] They announced their separation on November 1, 2011.[8] Deschanel filed for divorce on December 27, 2011, citing irreconcilable differences.[9] The divorce became final on December 12, 2012.[10] He is currently dating Rachel Demy, of Per Diem Productions.[11][12]

He reportedly gave up alcohol in 2008 and began running marathons.[13]

Gibbard is a strong agnostic[not in citation given], lapsed Catholic: "I don’t want to falsely believe in something solely so I can jump to the front of the line for whatever this awesome place is we go after we die. [...] The vastness of that idea is so beyond my comprehension that I feel like if there was a God, then that God would accept me saying I’m not able to believe because it’s so outside of my ability to understand it. I understand that’s where faith comes into play."[14]

Gibbard is an activist for gay rights and wrote an article in The Daily Beast voicing why this issue is important to him. He stated that when his lesbian sister got married, that it was "the most beautiful thing" he had ever seen. In the article, he voiced his strong support for Referendum 74 and discussed raising money for the issue. He stated, "I would just feel so much pride for my state if we could pass it by a popular vote and show the rest of the country that this is the direction we are going in."[15]

In September 2014, it was reported that Gibbard would appear as a guest on the Foo Fighters' eighth studio album Sonic Highways.[16]

Musical Equipment

As of May 2015, Gibbard tours with four modified 1970s Fender Mustang guitars. Additionally he uses two custom-built Acme Silvertone amplifier heads. For use on acoustic songs he relies on two 2008 Gibson J-45 Acoustic Guitars with B-Band pickup systems.[17] In the past, Gibbard used Fender Telecasters and G&L Telecaster-style guitars.[18]

In popular culture

Gibbard is the subject of the song, "Ben's My Friend", by indie folk act Sun Kil Moon. The track appears on the project's sixth studio album, Benji (2014).[19] On Sun Kil Moon's follow-up album, Universal Themes (2015), primary recording artist Mark Kozelek again refers to his friendship with Gibbard on its closing track, "This Is My First Day and I'm Indian and I Work at a Gas Station". Gibbard previously made a guest appearance on the band's third studio album, April (2008).

Discography

Death Cab for Cutie

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Main article: Death Cab for Cutie discography

Ben Gibbard

The Postal Service

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Main article: The Postal Service discography

Kind of Like Spitting

¡All-Time Quarterback!

With Jay Farrar

Pinwheel

  • 1996 Pinwheel

See also

References

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External links

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  5. ↑ IGN: Death Cab For Cutie, September 4, 2003. Retrieved March 21, 2009.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ "Zooey Deschanel Gets Married." People.com. September 20, 2009.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  16. ↑ http://consequenceofsound.net/2014/09/foo-fighters-recruit-death-cab-for-cuties-ben-gibbard-for-new-album/
  17. ↑ http://www.premierguitar.com/articles/22622-rig-rundown-death-cab-for-cutie/
  18. ↑ http://www.musicradar.com/us/news/guitars/13-unsung-telecaster-legends-243636/7/
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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