Death Cab for Cutie to celebrate 'Plans' 15th anniversary, major-label debut by streaming 'Directions' film
Death Cab for Cutie have long been considered American indie rock royalty, and part of their wider nationwide appeal can be attributed to the fact that they signed with a major record label for the release of their fifth studio album, 'Plans'. The Washington-based alternative rock outfit recently issued a statement on social media which celebrated that historic debut with Atlantic Records, which consequently resulted in considerable platinum-selling success. The band also revealed on Twitter that as part of the 15-year anniversary celebrations for their 2005 album, 'Plans', they will be streaming a throwback film from 2006 called 'Directions' for their fans on their official YouTube channel this weekend.
What makes 'Directions' unique and multi-faceted is the fact that it contains 11 visual accompaniments, one for every song on the 'Plans' album, with each music video being helmed by a different director. The band released a statement on August 31 that read, "15 years ago we made our major label debut w/ our fifth studio album Plans. To celebrate, we’ll be airing Directions, the video album for Plans w/ short films for every song on the record, each done by a different director. Tune in Saturday 9/5 @ 2pm PT: http://youtube.com/DCFCtv."
15 years ago we made our major label debut w/ our fifth studio album Plans.
— Death Cab for Cutie (@dcfc) August 31, 2020
To celebrate, we’ll be airing Directions, the video album for Plans w/ short films for every song on the record, each done by a different director. Tune in Saturday 9/5 @ 2pm PT: https://t.co/1HTKLmXGdL pic.twitter.com/AgQNk7nY6o
'Plans' performed creditably in terms of mainstream success when it was unveiled on August 30, 2005, eventually peaking at No. 4 on the US Billboard 200 chart. It spawned the singles 'Soul Meets Body', 'Crooked Teeth', and 'I Will Follow You Into The Dark', with the first two songs both cracking the Top 10 on Billboard's US Alternative Songs. Meanwhile, the latter track, 'I Will Follow You Into The Dark', peaked at number 28 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, and it was later certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America, thus becoming the band's best-selling single till date.
The Grammy-nominated album also marked the first time that the band didn't hold recording sessions in their native Pacific Northwest. As the band's bassist Nick Harmer elaborated in their Twitter post, "We told ourselves that it was just another album, that now being on Atlantic Records was no big deal, but it was, and we knew it,” he revealed. “I think that’s why we chose the barn studio at Long View Farms in Massachusetts, during winter, to isolate ourselves from the pressure and our fears and just be able to focus on music."
He also admitted that the subsequent weather conditions and being cut off from the outside world nearly became a hairy situation of Stephen King proportions, but thankfully, it all worked out great for the band members Ben Gibbard, Nick Harmer, Dave Depper, Zac Rae, and Jason McGerr. As Harmer revealed, "We weren’t expecting getting snowed in and that gave the experience a heaping tablespoon of The Shining, but in the end, we were able to shut out the world and make the album that came from our hearts, a promise to ourselves that no matter what came at us next, we would always remember our music comes first."
The bassist went on to thank their label, agents, and representatives, before signing off with a message for their road crew, saying they made "being a band on the road incredibly fun and easy. We miss you all." Make sure you tune in for the special stream of 'Directions' on Death Cab For Cutie's YouTube channel, starting at 2 pm PT on September 5.