Gibbard is of course the frontman and primary songwriter behind both Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service, and he’s been writing heartfelt, incredible songs for the past, oh, 30 years or so. The latest Death Cab album, called Asphalt Meadows, came out back in 2022, but he’s kept busy with an anniversary Postal Service tour and, coming later this summer, some shows celebrating the 20th anniversary of Death Cab’s Plans album. I’m a fan—the guy has written some of my favorite songs of all time, and he hasn’t lost a step over the years. He’s also been super supportive of other musicians over the years, including today’s other guest.

Natalie Lew who, like Gibbard, calls Seattle home, records under the name Sea Lemon. Like a lot of younger artists, she started out by releasing singles and EPs, but in May she graduated to what some folks think it’s a lost artform: the full-length album. It’s called Diving for a Prize, and it’s full of shoegazy indie-pop goodness, hiding catchy melodies under swirling layers. Gibbard was already a fan of Sea Lemon’s music, so it seemed like a no-brainer that she’d ask him to duet on a song from the album. Check out “Crystals” right here.

In this lively chat, these two talk about their shared city and how they’ll never live anywhere else, the sanctity of the album as an artistic statement, and whether they’d like to venture into creative pursuits beyond music. One of them is a yes, the other not so much. Enjoy.

Thanks for listening to the Talkhouse Podcast, and thanks to Natalie Lew and Ben Gibbard for chatting. If you liked what you heard, please follow Talkhouse on your favorite podcasting platform, and check out all the great stuff at Talkhouse.com. This episode was produced by Myron Kaplan, and the Talkhouse theme is composed and performed by the Range. See you next time!

Find more illuminating podcasts on the ⁠⁠⁠Talkhouse Podcast Network⁠⁠⁠.

Visit ⁠⁠⁠talkhouse.com⁠⁠⁠ to read essays, reviews, and more.

Follow @talkhouse on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Twitter (X)⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠.