Photo: Wes and Alex for iHeartRadio
Death Cab For Cutie recently celebrated the release of their 10th studio album Asphalt Meadows with a special iHeartRadio L!ve performance. In addition to playing a 10-song set, which consisted of new material and fan favorites, the band also spoke with iHeartRadio's Stryker about the new album, their legacy and future, and much more.
Near the end of the night, Stryker brought up Ben Gibbard's collaboration with Foo Fighters ("Subterranean" off Sonic Highways). After asking about that experience, the DCFC frontman gushed about the Foos' special bond as a band and how hard Taylor Hawkins' death must be for them.
“I can’t remember being around a band that genuinely loved each other more than the Foo Fighters," he said. "We’ve done enough shows with them now that we know them a little bit, and I’ve always been struck with how close their bond is as a band. It’s very clear that the Foo Fighters you guys see on TV when they’re chumming around with each other, that’s real. That’s 100% real. So I can only imagine how difficult this last six months has been for them.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Gibbard was asked why it's important for them to continue making music. “I feel like what is satisfying about being in this band is the duality of being out in front of you guys playing shows, and having this symbiotic relationship with you guys and us and the music in between, but the other part of it is making new music," he said. "There’s nothing that compares to the feeling when I’m in my little home studio and finish a song I’m really proud of…the sense of satisfaction that I get, and that I think we get, from finishing a song or record that we’re proud of — I can’t imagine being a band that just tours and doesn’t make music anymore. That’s the fun part. That’s the creative part."
He also spoke about how the band comes up with their eclectic setlists, which always seem to find a good middle ground between new music and fan favorites. “It’s really important to us that we play the songs you guys want to hear, but also representing the new record," he explained. "So we don’t want to go out and be like, okay we’re playing the new record plus three songs then we’re walking off stage. We want to make sure we make a setlist that connects all the eras of the band while also showcasing this new thing, which is why we’re playing shows in the first place.”
As a result, their iHeartRadio L!ve 10-song set managed to do just that, mixing songs off Asphalt Meadows with hits from 2005’s Plans, 2008’s Narrow Stairs, 2011’s Codes and Keys, 2015’s Kintsugi, 2018’s Thank You for Today.
Check out their full setlist below.
Death Cab For Cutie iHeartRadio L!ve Setlist
Roman Candles
Ghosts of Beverly Drive
Here to Forever
Cath…
Soul Meets Body
You Are a Tourist
Asphalt Meadows
Black Sun
Northern Lights
Foxglove Through the Clearcut