Zac Rae

Last updated
Zac Rae
Death Cab for Cutie (48983347781).jpg
Rae with Death Cab for Cutie in 2019
Background information
Genres
Occupations
  • Musician
  • songwriter
Instruments
  • Piano
  • keyboards
  • guitar
Years active2001–present
Labels

Zac Rae is an American musician, best known as the keyboardist, pianist, and multi-instrumentalist of the indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie, with whom he has recorded two studio albums and two EPs.

Contents

Rae is a former member of Alanis Morissette's backing band, which he joined in 2001 at the age of 21. [1] While touring and recording with Morissette, Rae worked extensively as a session musician, recording with Macy Gray, Stevie Nicks, Ringo Starr, Ziggy Marley, Jane's Addiction, Miley Cyrus and Against Me! amongst others. [2]

In 2015, Rae initially joined Death Cab for Cutie in a touring capacity, following the departure of founding member Chris Walla. In 2016, both he and touring guitarist Dave Depper were added to the band's core line-up. [3] Rae's first studio album with the band, Thank You for Today was released in 2018.

Alongside his duties in Death Cab for Cutie, Rae continues to record as an in-demand studio session musician, contributing to Leonard Cohen's final two studio albums, You Want It Darker (2016) and Thanks for the Dance (2019), and appearing on albums by Lana Del Rey, Dua Lipa, Sabrina Carpenter, Childish Gambino, Niall Horan, and Best Coast. [2]

Early life

Rae began taking piano lessons at the age of five. [1] During high school, he would seek out live musical opportunities: "When I was in high school, you could get a gig playing jazz for a couple hours at places like Barnes and Noble. So my friends and I would play in little quartets, and each get paid in $25 gift cards, which translated to about two CDs. Later as a teenager, I spent some time on the Cuban jazz circuit in Los Angeles, which was a lot of fun." [1]

Rae studied at USC Thornton School of Music in Southern California for two years, before dropping out to find full-time work as a musician: "Shockingly, no one has ever passed me over for a gig because I didn't have a degree." [1]

Career

Rae's professional career began in 1999: "Around the time I dropped out of music school in 1999, I met a group of more active musicians in LA and I started connecting and working with them in a band called Every Single Saturday. [...] One thing led to another and soon I was working full time doing session work, and then I got my first touring break with Alanis Morissette in 2001 when I was 21". [1]

Discography

with Death Cab for Cutie

with Alanis Morissette

as a session musician

YearTitleArtist
2020 A Celebration of Endings Biffy Clyro
2020 Always Tomorrow Best Coast
2020The Family Songbook The Haden Triplets
2020Through a Dark Wood Sea Wolf
2019 Thanks for the Dance Leonard Cohen
2019 Norman Fucking Rockwell! Lana Del Rey
2019 California Son Morrisey
2019Heroin and Helicopters Citizen Cope
2019Love Remains Tal Wilkenfeld
2018 The Pains of Growing Alessia Cara
2018Bay Dream Culture Abuse
2018 Castles Lissie
2018Safe Harbor for Wayward EchoesTobias the Owl
2017 Flicker Niall Horan
2017 Lust for Life Lana Del Rey
2017 We're All Alright! Cheap Trick
2017 Dua Lipa Dua Lipa
2017 Safe Haven Ruth B
2017No Date Daye Jack
2016 "Awaken, My Love!" Childish Gambino
2016 You Want It Darker Leonard Cohen
2016 Ziggy Marley Ziggy Marley
2016 Bang, Zoom, Crazy... Hello Cheap Trick
2015Global Underground 041: Naples James Lavelle
2015 What's Inside: Songs from Waitress Sara Bareilles
2015 Cheers to the Fall Andra Day
2015 Eyes Wide Open Sabrina Carpenter
2015 All American Boy Steve Grand
2015 I'll Be Me Glen Campbell
2015Sisters of Perpetual HeartacheSisters of Perpetual Heartache
2012 Paradise Lana Del Rey

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Rengen, Jon (November 29, 2017). "Talent Scout - Zac Rae". Keyboard . Retrieved March 27, 2020.
  2. 1 2 "Zac Rae - Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic . Retrieved March 27, 2020.
  3. ↑ Goggins, Joe (August 7, 2018). "Death Cab For Cutie's Ben Gibbard: On new album 'Thank You For Today' and Seattle's slow disintegration" . The Independent . Archived from the original on 2022-05-07. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
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