I Built You a Tower

Last updated
I Built You a Tower
I Built You a Tower.jpg
Studio album by
Death Cab for Cutie
ReleasedJune 5, 2026
Studio
  • Animal Rites (Los Angeles)
  • Death Cab for Cutie members' home studios [a]
  • Studio Litho (Seattle) [b]
Length38:34
Label Anti-
Producer John Congleton
Death Cab for Cutie chronology
Asphalt Meadows
(2022)		I Built You a Tower
(2026)
Singles from I Built You a Tower
  1. "Riptides"
    Released: March 16, 2026

I Built You a Tower is the eleventh studio album by American rock band Death Cab for Cutie. It will be released on June 5, 2026, through Anti-.

Contents

Background

Recording sessions for the album took place over a three-week period at Animal Rites, the Los Angeles studio of producer John Congleton. Additional parts were recorded remotely by band members in their home studios in Seattle, Bellingham, Los Angeles, and Portland. [1] Congleton previously worked with the band on their last album, Asphalt Meadows.

I Built You a Tower was created during a period marked by both reflection on the band’s past and significant personal change for frontman Ben Gibbard. At the time, they were touring to mark the 20th anniversaries of the albums Transatlanticism and Plans , while also performing with side project the Postal Service. [3] During this period, Gibbard was also dealing with the end of his marriage. [4] He described the challenge of performing nightly while managing the emotional weight of his personal life, noting that it required a process of emotional compartmentalization similar to what many people do in everyday tasks. He likened emotional experiences such as grief, trauma, or loss to a "tower" in one's inner landscape—visible and acknowledged but contained within a structure. The album explores the ways in which these emotions can occasionally resurface unexpectedly, despite efforts to keep them organized and controlled, reflecting on the tension between personal vulnerability and the demands of daily life. [5] [6]

Release

In January 2026, the band signed with Anti-, marking an end to their 22-year period signed to major label Atlantic. Ben Gibbard said the band was "thrilled" to join Anti-, citing its roster of favorite artists and longtime friends. In announcing the move, they also announced a forthcoming North American tour featuring Japanese Breakfast, Jay Som, and Nation of Language at select dates. [7] The band later announced I Built You a Tower alongside single "Riptides" on March 16, as well as additional European dates for later that year. [8]

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Benjamin Gibbard; all music is composed by Gibbard, except where noted. [2]

I Built You a Tower track listing
No.TitleMusicLength
1."Full of Stars"
3:22
2."Punching the Flowers" 3:11
3."Pep Talk" 3:14
4."I Built You a Tower (A)" 3:23
5."Envy the Birds" 4:20
6."Stone Over Water" 3:14
7."How Heavenly a State"
3:29
8."Trap Door"
3:52
9."Riptides" 3:17
10."The Flavor of Metal" 3:45
11."I Built You a Tower (B)"
  • Gibbard
  • Depper
3:27
Total length:38:34

Personnel

Credits courtesy of Bandcamp. [2]

Death Cab for Cutie

Technical

Notes

  1. ↑ The group's home studios are located in Seattle, Bellingham, Los Angeles, and Portland. [1] [2]
  2. ↑ Additional tracking on "Trap Door" [2]

References

  1. 1 2 DeVille, Chris (March 16, 2026). "Death Cab For Cutie Announce New Album 'I Built You A Tower': Hear 'Riptides'". Stereogum. Retrieved March 16, 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "I Built You A Tower | Death Cab For Cutie". Bandcamp . Retrieved March 16, 2026.
  3. ↑ Monroe, Jazz (March 16, 2026). "Death Cab for Cutie Line Up New Album". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 16, 2026.
  4. ↑ Sandiford, Kayla (March 16, 2026). "Death Cab For Cutie announce new album, I Built You A Tower". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved March 16, 2026.
  5. ↑ Alston, Trey (March 16, 2026). "Death Cab for Cutie Announce New Album I Built You a Tower, Release First Single". Consequence. Retrieved March 16, 2026.
  6. ↑ Cerio, Michael (March 16, 2026). "Death Cab for Cutie reveal how 'compartmentalizing' grief helped new album, 'I Built You A Tower'". audacy.com. Retrieved March 16, 2026.
  7. ↑ Suskind, Alex (January 23, 2026). "Death Cab for Cutie Announce Tour and Anti- Records Signing". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 27, 2026.
  8. ↑ Monroe, Jazz. "Death Cab for Cutie Line Up New Album". Pitchfork . Retrieved March 16, 2026.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.