For Death Cab for Cutie drummer Jason McGerr, the idea of achieving the kind of success the band has experienced recently was unfathomable five years ago.
"'Plans' debuted at No. 4 out of 200 records on the charts, and when you read the names of the other artists, you're just blown away," he said. "I'll never forget that day - I just paced along the street and called everyone I know."
Ben Gibbard created Death Cab for Cutie in Bellingham, Wash. in 1997 by lead singer, and McGerr joined the band in 2003. "Transatlanticism" was the first record to feature McGerr, and many fans believe the album was a turning point in the band's career.
"A lot of people say "Transatlanticism" is where things really started to change," McGerr said.
That record received praise from legendary Rush drummer Neil Peart, who wrote on his official Web site that the song "We Looked Like Giants" from the album was one of his favorite songs.
McGerr called the experience of receiving such a compliment from a drumming legend "pretty amazing."
"When I was 16 I learned how to play 'Moving Pictures,'" McGerr said. "When you're 16, you think you've got it down."
The spotlight on Peart's drumming served as an inspiration for McGerr's own style of playing.
"Rush was maybe one of the first bands that really highlighted the drummer," he said. "You couldn't deny hearing the notes Neil Peart was playing."
When not working together as Death Cab for Cutie, each member of the band keeps busy with side projects, including McGerr, who teaches and does session work during downtime.
"Imagine being married to someone and not being able to hang out with someone else - you begin to feel the trappings of marriage very quickly," he said. "It's the difference between quality time versus quantity time."
McGerr said working on other projects has a positive effect on the band's sound when they all reunite.
"We learn from those experiences and we bring them back into the band," he said. "We learn something from those people we work with."
In 2004, Death Cab for Cutie left indie label Barsuk records to sign with major label Atlantic Records.
McGerr said in addition to having a more concentrated marketing campaign for their music with Atlantic, the band also has an even easier time when touring outside the U.S.
"The resources are great when it comes to being overseas," he said. "You have this global muscle to make sure everything runs smoothly."
Because of the changing landscape of music distribution, McGerr's advice for struggling musicians is that they "need to be well aware of the way music is being channeled and distributed to people these days."
"The only way to really succeed is to bust your ass and to really work hard and play today's marketing game - and, hopefully, have some integrity," he said.
Despite the band's mellow sound, McGerr said seeing them live is "a much more energetic and engaging show."
"We're just too psyched," he said. "To sit down and play guitar just wouldn't work."
The band's performance will also feature "some variation in what you typically hear on the album," according to McGerr.
