The first band Ben Gibbard ever loved
The influences that filtered into the sound of Death Cab For Cutie have varied across their decades-long career. Initially tacked onto the emo boom of the late 1990s and early 2000s, Death Cab took on a more melodic and alternative rock sound on albums like Transatlanticism and Plans. When Ben Gibbard finally became comfortable with pop hooks, he found solace in one of his original favourite bands: The Monkees.
“Before The Beatles, before The Velvet Underground and before punk and/or indie rock, The Monkees were the first band I truly loved,” Gibbard told NPR in 2012. “Their albums were always on in our home when I was a kid (especially Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.), and I learned to sing alongside them.”
“I spent countless hours in front of the TV in the ’80s watching Monkees reruns wishing I could climb through the screen and be in the show with them,” he added about falling in love with the band. “They made being in a band seem so fun — and goddammit, it should be!”
When The Monkees were compiling material for their 2016 album Good Times!, a host of famous fans came out of the woodwork to help them. Among the most notable were Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo, XTC’s Andry Partridge, Fountains of Wayne’s Adam Schlesinger (who also produced the album) and even a collaboration between Paul Weller and Noel Gallagher.
Gibbard was also tapped to provide a song for the band. He eventually came up with the melancholy ‘Me & Magdalena’, which served as a more introspective take on The Monkees’ pop style. “For these reasons and a million others, I can say with absolutely zero hyperbole that contributing ‘Me & Magdalena’ to this album has been the greatest honour of my career,” Gibbard told NPR.
When Monkees guitarist Mike Nesmith passed away in 2021, Gibbard paid tribute to one of his inspirations. “Mike Nesmith passed today, and I feel completely gutted. I also feel so fortunate to have called him a friend,” Gibbard wrote at the time. ”I believe the best way to mourn the loss of a musician is to play their music. When we do so, we keep the beauty of their spirit alive in our hearts.”
“The fact that New and The Monkees recorded this tune of mine – it’s truly one of the greatest songs of my life, let alone my career,” Gibbard said about ‘Me & Magdalena’. “I grew up watching the show, and I grew up with the records on in our family house cos my dad was a huge Monkees fan.”
Check out ‘Me & Magdalena’ down below.
