American indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie were formed in Bellingham, Washington, in 1997, initially as a solo project by singer and guitarist Ben Gibbard while he was a student at the city’s Western Washington University.
Gibbard’s first demo cassette of eight songs, titled You Can Play These Songs With Chords, was recorded with fellow WWU student Chris Walla and released as Death Cab for Cutie by Bellingham record label Elsinor Records. Interest in the demo encouraged Gibbard to turn the project into a band, with Walla on guitar, bassist Nick Harmer, and Nathan Good on drums.
Many of the band’s early songs were recorded in the house where they were living at 1138 Ellis Street in Bellingham.
