When Death Cab for Cutie breezed into town last Tuesday to play a sold out show at the Avalon, the Daily was able to score some time with bassist Nick Harmer. Escorted to the private hang out nook above the Avalon, we talked politics, how to avoid sucking corporate America's teats, and how "Death Cab" is really just another name for love-zombies.
Tufts Daily: So, are you a baseball fan?
Nick Harmer: I'm a casual baseball fan.
TD: Would you consider praying for the Red Sox?
NH: Well, now here's the thing, we were thinking and agreed that if they were to lose last night, then that would be done, but if they won we'd pray for them to win the whole thing. Now that they won, we're going to hopefully help you guys lift the curse and see what happens. But, I feel partly responsible because I think my grandfather is actually the one responsible for the curse.
TD: Really?
NH: (Pondering) When they, uh ... came over on the boat ... a pair of red socks were stolen from him, so he cursed everyone in Boston and ... yeah, that's the long wind of it.
TD: So, you guys have kind of made politics a premiere focus this year. What place do you think artists and musicians have in the world?
NH: They have a very historical place in politics. Politics and activism have been tied together for year and years and years. So it makes a lot of sense that different bands including ourselves are using our shows as places for gathering citizens. We're not turning our shows into political diatribes and soapboxes; we're just trying to get people excited about the process. Occasionally, we throw a cheer out, "Go Kerry," but that's just how we're feeling this year. That's the line. It makes the most sense because we've got to get George Bush out of office. That's the most important thing.
TD: Do you see your lyrics having a more political bent in the future?
NH: Um ... well, no. No, I don't see us turning into Rage against the Machine. We are political people. The thing that we're trying to press on people we talk to, at least the way I feel about it, is that everything about your life is a thing of passion. Where you spend your dollar, what shoes you wear, what clothes you wear, the people you hang around with, what groups you like. They all make political statements whether you like it or not - it's just the way that it goes. And I mean that's with a lower "p." A capital "P" would be like Republicans and Democrats and Capitol Hill and "I'm a bill that becomes a law" and all that kind of stuff.
TD: Grammar Rock!
NH: Yeah, exactly. You know, smaller "p's" are just like your politics on how you feel about social issues. You know, you have a choice of selling yourself to Budweiser and doing a Budweiser sponsored tour or not making very much money but not having to suck all that corporate teat, so to speak.
TD: By being so active in Moveon.org combined with the success of "Transatlanticsm," is all the sudden name recognition becoming creepy?
NH: No, it's great. We've been a band for seven years. We've been slowly just going at it. It's been years of touring and obscurity pretty much. Putting out little records and going out. So this is just one more graduated step for us. If "Transatlanticsm" was the first record we ever made as a band, and we'd never toured before, and all of sudden, whoa, we're playing a sold out show at the Avalon! All these people buying our CD! I'd like probably have a drug problem and a host of all the other crazy things that happens because of the sheer shock of it.
TD: So, is it normal the day after your first concert with Pearl Jam just to wake up and just be like "yeah, that happened."
NH: That was a little surreal, I'll give you that. Those were some weird shows. Those guys first of all are fantastic - some of the nicest guys you'll have ever meet, and really just extended every comfort and courtesy you could imagine, which made it even more surreal. I think we kind of expected they'd do their own thing and we'd do our own thing but they were like, "Yeah, let's play dice! Let's hang!
TD: Speaking of touring, there was an article in the New Times Magazine last week about Kerry and Bush on the campaign trail, and how they both felt pressured to eat hearty American food like Wendy's to be patriotic. Do you feel under the same pressure?
NH: Uhhh no. In fact, we eat almost exclusively at Whole Foods on the tour. We eat a lot of Tofu Burgers - to the point that today, well, I'll be honest. I walked by a McDonald's and just was like "I gotta have greasy fries." It's terrible to say, but I broke down. I had a moment of weakness.
TD: You got fries?
NH: I got fries and chicken McNuggets, which I'm actually going to live to regret, the nuggets. I'm powered up on McDonald's tonight.
TD: I was telling my grandma that I was interviewing Death Cab for Cutie tonight and she asked if you guys were zombies because of your name.
NH: Yes, you can tell her we are love-zombies.
TD: Is there a story behind your name?
ND: I'll give you the college newspaper answer. There will be some college readers who might find it fantastic. There was a band in the '60s called the Bonzo Dog Band and they were responsible for writing a song called, "Death Cab for Cutie." We came across it in the Magical Mystery Tour, there's a part where John and Paul can't sing. Ben picked the name because it's kind of a nod to the Beatles and it made a lot of sense. The college newspaper part of it is one of the members of the Bonzo Dog band was this guy Neal Innes, and he was part of "Monty Python and the Search for the Holy Grail." Sir Robin, the chicken-shit knight, the minstrel who makes up songs about how he's such a wimp, with that dog following him around - that's Neal Innes. And he helped co-write "Death Cab for Cutie."
TD: Would you say that the Beatles were among your influences? Who else?
NH: Beatles definitely. Simon and Garfunkel, Beach Boys, Slayer, Pavement. We're just big music dorks. We had a day off yesterday and just went to the record store and loaded up. Got the new Brian Wilson "Smile," the new Mos Def, the new Pinback. It's a fun hobby to have.
