Ben Gibbard | |
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.jpg) Gibbard with Death Cab for Cutie in 2018 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Benjamin Gibbard (1976-08-11)August 11, 1976 (age 49) Bremerton, Washington, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1994–present |
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| Website | benjamingibbard |
Benjamin Gibbard (born August 11, 1976) is an American musician.[2] He is best known as the lead vocalist and guitarist of theindie rock bandDeath Cab for Cutie, with whom he has recorded ten studio albums, and as a member of the indie popsupergroupThe Postal Service. Gibbard released his debut solo album,Former Lives (2012), and a collaborative studio album,One Fast Move or I'm Gone (2009), withJay Farrar.
Gibbard was born to Allen and Margaret (née Flach) Gibbard inBremerton, Washington.[3] His father was in the Navy and his family moved around the country, including spending time in Northern Virginia before returning to Washington.[4][5] Gibbard spent his early life there during thegrunge music explosion of the early 1990s. He graduated fromOlympic High School in Bremerton in 1994,[6] and studied environmental chemistry atWestern Washington University.[7] He was raisedCatholic.[8]
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In 1996, while playing guitar in the band Pinwheel, Gibbard recorded a democassette asDeath Cab for Cutie, titledYou 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 guitaristChris Walla, bassist Nick Harmer and drummerNathan Good. The following year, the band released its debut album,Something About Airplanes (1998), onBarsuk Records, and released its follow-up,We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes, in 2000.[9]
Gibbard had a minor role in theJohn Krasinski filmBrief Interviews with Hideous Men, based on theDavid Foster Wallace short story collection of the same title.[10] He completed a solo tour through the US in the spring of 2007 that featuredDavid Bazan ofPedro the Lion and singer-songwriterJohnathan Rice.[11]
In November 2014, Gibbard appeared as a guest onFoo Fighters' eighth studio albumSonic Highways.[12]
Gibbard became engaged to actress and musicianZooey Deschanel in 2008 and they married in September 2009 nearSeattle.[13] They announced their separation on November 1, 2011,[14] with Deschanel filing for divorce on December 27, citing irreconcilable differences.[15] The divorce was finalized on December 12, 2012.[16] Gibbard later married photographer and tour manager Rachel Demy on October 21, 2016, in Seattle.[17] The couple separated in 2023.[18]
In a 2003 interview, Gibbard stated that while he was previously avegan, he recently became apescetarian.[19] He reportedly quit alcohol in 2008 and began running marathons.[20] He ran his first trailultramarathon in 2013 and has since completed several each year.[21] On June 2, 2025, he completed the 100-mileWestern States Endurance Run.[22][23]
Gibbard is a lapsed Catholic who now identifies asagnostic:[24] "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."[25]
Gibbard has been a fan of theMLB'sSeattle Mariners since the age of five[26] and has thrown the first pitch at two Mariners games.[27] When the Mariners tradedIchiro Suzuki to theNew York Yankees in 2012, Gibbard honored him by writing and releasing the song "Ichiro's Theme".[28] Gibbard's handwritten lyrics for the song are archived at theNational Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum inCooperstown, New York.[29] In 2024, Gibbard performed the national anthem at the Mariners'Opening Day game atT-Mobile Park.[30]
Gibbard is an activist for LGBTQ+ rights. He has voiced his support for theWashington 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."[31]
Gibbard has been open about his political views, expressing his support of theDemocratic Party.[32][33] On October 10, 2016, Death Cab for Cutie released "Million Dollar Loan", the first song in theDave Eggers project,30 Days, 50 Songs. The song targetted Donald Trump as it satirized the fact he asked his father for a million dollar loan. Gibbard said of the song: "Lyrically, 'Million Dollar Loan' deals with a particularly tone deaf moment in Donald Trump's ascent to the Republican nomination. While campaigning in New Hampshire last year, he attempted to cast himself as a self-made man by claiming he built his fortune with just a 'small loan of a million dollars' from his father. Not only has this statement been proven to be wildly untrue, he was so flippant about it. It truly disgusted me."[34]
During theCOVID-19 pandemic, Gibbardlive streamed daily concerts from his home after canceling shows due to the pandemic.[35] Gibbard played songs by his bandsDeath Cab for Cutie andThe Postal Service and other artists such asThe Decemberists,Radiohead,New Order,Depeche Mode andThe Beatles while promoting local Washington non-profit organizations.[36][37][38][39][40]
As of May 2015, Gibbard tours with four modified 1970sFender Mustang guitars. Additionally, he uses two custom-built Acme Silvertone amplifier heads. For acoustic songs, he relies on two 2008Gibson J-45 Acoustic Guitars with B-Band pickup systems. Since 2016, Gibbard has begun usingSupro amplifiers.[41] In the past, Gibbard played 1980s Japanese-built Squier Bullets through a Sears Silvertone amp, which he immortalized in the lyrics to the song "No Joy In Mudville".[42] He also usedFender Telecasters andG&L ASAT guitars.[43]
In January 2021,Fender announced the Ben Gibbard Mustang as part of their Artist Signature series,[44] designed to Ben's specifications and inspired by the 1970s Mustangs he uses on tour.[45] The guitar boasts several unique features including a chambered ash body, custom Ben Gibbard Mustang pickups, and simplified electronics.
Gibbard is the subject of the song "Ben's My Friend" byindie folk actSun Kil Moon. The track appears on the project's sixth studio album,Benji (2014).[46] On Sun Kil Moon's follow-up album,Universal Themes (2015), primary recording artistMark 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).
Gibbard is also referenced in "The Cones of Dunshire", an episode from the sixth season ofParks and Recreation. In the episode, April (Aubrey Plaza) attempts to promote a forest cabin tohipsters by claiming that "Ben Gibbard andNeko Case made out here once."[47]
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