Death Cab for Cutie releases Heart-wrenching New Single “Riptides” and Announces 11th album

For the past few years, Death Cab for Cutie has been recognizing milestones. The band toured, alongside frontman Ben Gibbard’s other band, The Postal Service, celebrating the 20th anniversary of Transatlanticism. Then, the band played some shows last year recognizing the 20th anniversary of Plans.

But now, there’s a brand new reason for Death Cab for Cutie to celebrate—the upcoming release of the band’s 11th album, I Built You A Tower, which is set to be released on June 5 through ANTI- Records, marking Death Cab’s return to an indie label after more than two decades of being signed to Atlantic Records.

To mark the album, Death Cab for Cutie released “Riptides,” the first single from I Built You A Tower, today. Like all good emo music, the song reflects on a difficult time for Gibbard in his personal life. During Death Cab’s highly successful tour alongside The Postal Service, where Gibbard was exhausting himself doing double duty and playing with both bands, his marriage fell apart. The song is about the furthered exhaustion of dealing with the grief of a failing relationship.

“I’m too tired to talk, I’m too tired to end the war, and I can’t seem to hold it together any more,” Gibbard sings in “Riptides.”

While Gibbard’s personal life might be difficult, his professional life certainly sounds great, literally. The song slowly builds to a bridge and final chorus where every member of the band sounds on point and cohesive, and while Gibbard’s voice has never faltered throughout his lengthy career, it sounds just as good as it ever has in the single.

Death Cab for Cutie will tour throughout North America this summer in support of the album, and recently added a European and UK leg, which kicks off Sept. 16 in Dublin, and wraps up Oct. 3 in Paris.

“Riptides” is available now on all streaming platforms.