Chris Walla

An accomplished producer, multi-instrumentalist, and former DJ, Christopher Walla is perhaps best known as <a href="spotify:artist:4CvZd3qzC2HbLxAoAEBRIL">Ben Gibbard</a>'s former right-hand man in <a href="spotify:artist:0YrtvWJMgSdVrk3SfNjTbx">Death Cab for Cutie</a>. Walla was born in 1975 and grew up in the suburbs of Seattle, a town whose rich music scene inspired him to pursue work as a producer. While attending a local concert, he met future bandmate <a href="spotify:artist:4CvZd3qzC2HbLxAoAEBRIL">Gibbard</a> -- who, at the same time, was playing guitar with the power pop outfit Pinwheel -- and bonded with him over a shared love of <a href="spotify:artist:2Sp19cOHSqAUlE64hekARW">Teenage Fanclub</a>. Seeking a break from his Pinwheel duties, <a href="spotify:artist:4CvZd3qzC2HbLxAoAEBRIL">Gibbard</a> soon enlisted Walla's help on an eight-song cassette entitled You Can Play These Songs with Chords. The project was surprisingly successful, and <a href="spotify:artist:4CvZd3qzC2HbLxAoAEBRIL">Gibbard</a> couldn't support the release without a live band. Accordingly, Walla joined the lineup alongside bassist Nick Harmer (<a href="spotify:artist:4CvZd3qzC2HbLxAoAEBRIL">Gibbard</a>'s roommate) and temporary drummer Nathan Good, and <a href="spotify:artist:0YrtvWJMgSdVrk3SfNjTbx">Death Cab for Cutie</a> officially took root.

Walla issued a self-titled cassette (under the name Martin Youth Auxiliary) on the Washington-based <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Elsinor+Records%22">Elsinor Records</a> in 1999, following its release with a series of solo shows. However, <a href="spotify:artist:0YrtvWJMgSdVrk3SfNjTbx">Death Cab for Cutie</a>'s profile was steadily rising, and Walla's solo efforts took a back seat as he focused on the band. Handling production duties for <a href="spotify:artist:0YrtvWJMgSdVrk3SfNjTbx">Death Cab</a>'s studio albums, Walla played an important role in shaping the band's sound, even if <a href="spotify:artist:4CvZd3qzC2HbLxAoAEBRIL">Gibbard</a> penned the majority of the material. Released in 2003, Transatlanticism proved to be the band's big break, moving 225,000 copies during its first year of release and attracting attention from <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Atlantic+Records%22">Atlantic Records</a>. <a href="spotify:artist:0YrtvWJMgSdVrk3SfNjTbx">Death Cab for Cutie</a> ultimately left their previous home of <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Barsuk+Records%22">Barsuk Records</a>, signed with <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Atlantic%22">Atlantic</a> in 2004, and released the Grammy-nominated Plans the following year.

With his instrumental contributions and production skills now enjoying Billboard-certified success, Walla was faced with increasing demand for his musical expertise. He launched a website to accompany his personal studio (the Hall of Justice) and set to work producing and/or engineering releases by <a href="spotify:artist:5e1BZulIiYWPRm8yogwUYH">Tegan and Sara</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:11zHPjHnZN0ACA50rSnTcy">Nada Surf</a> (whose previous albums Let Go and The Weight Is a Gift were also produced by Walla), <a href="spotify:artist:7ITd48RbLVpUfheE7B86o2">the Decemberists</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:5TugL1ye4ctBEv3przVPST">Camden</a>, and a handful of soundtracks and assorted compilations. Walla also returned to his solo efforts, working on an album entitled Field Manual and rejoining the <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Barsuk%22">Barsuk</a> roster for its release in January 2008. Following his work on recordings by <a href="spotify:artist:3faZppLa0MVUYBlyp7zDAo">Telekinesis</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:4Xo1N4V7w6qX23OHAPcLCe">the Lonely Forest</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6FIrstf3kHEg3zBOyLpvxD">Ra Ra Riot</a>, and several others, Walla decided to leave <a href="spotify:artist:0YrtvWJMgSdVrk3SfNjTbx">Death Cab for Cutie</a>, performing his last show with the band in September of 2014. His first solo release since his departure from <a href="spotify:artist:0YrtvWJMgSdVrk3SfNjTbx">Death Cab</a> was Tape Loops, an unexpected album of <a href="spotify:artist:7MSUfLeTdDEoZiJPDSBXgi">Eno</a>-like ambience released by Los Angeles-based <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Trans+Records%22">Trans Records</a> in 2015. Walla also began scoring a film called North, which was slated for a 2016 release. ~ Andrew Leahey, Rovi