Chris Walla, guitarist and producer extraordinaire for Death Cab For Cutie, announced he will be leaving the band at the end of its current run of festival dates.
Walla co-founded that band in Bellingham way back in 1997 and produced all of the group’s studio albums. His last show will be Sept. 13 in Victoria, B.C. Here’s some of what Walla had to say about his decision to leave the band:
“I think I long for the unknown. It might be that simple.
I will miss being a quarter of this band, and will support whatever course Death Cab for Cutie chooses from here. I am profoundly grateful to Ben, Nick, and Jason, for the experiences that define my adult life. Truly grateful, beyond words. Thank you,” he continues.
“I am also grateful to, and deeply humbled by, all of our fans. Without you, music would be mere ‘content’, and nothing could possibly be sadder than that. Thank you all, so dearly.”
You can read Walla’s full statement about his departure over on The Slog’s website.
The rest of the band — Ben Gibbard, Nick Harmer and Jason McGerr — released the following statement in a press release issued by the band’s label Columbia Records:
“We’ve had an incredible 17 years of making music with Chris and are very proud of what we’ve accomplished together, including our 8th studio album which we have just put the finishing touches on. We will miss Chris and wish him all the best in the next chapter of his career. We’re excited about sharing new music, and seeing all of you very soon.”
Along with being a founder of DCFC, Walla is a prolific producer and has his own label, Trans Records, which has released albums by The Lonely Forest and Cumulus.
In other Death Cab news, the band recently finished recording its eighth studio album. The record does not have a name or release date and was produced by Rich Costey, marking the first time the band worked with an outside producer. Costey has previously worked with Rage Against the Machine, Foster the People, Santigold, Nine Inch Nails, The Shins and a whole bunch of other notable names.
