Tycho & Ben Gibbard team up for new song “Only Love” (listen)
Tycho and Ben Gibbard have teamed up for a new song together, "Only Love." It pairs Ben's unmistakable voice with a glossy, shapeshifting electronic backdrop from Tycho, and there's a hint of psychedelia in the mix too. It doesn't exactly sound like The Postal Service, but its mix of electronics and Ben Gibbard vocals scratches a similar itch. Tycho's Scott Hansen says:
I had been a fan of Ben’s work for a long time when, in 2016, I had the chance to do a remix for Death Cab for Cutie’s track "The Ghosts of Beverly Drive." Ben’s voice was a very inspiring element to work with from a production standpoint, I felt it really meshed well with the kinds of sounds and instrumentation I gravitate towards. ‘Only Love’ started life as an instrumental, but something was missing. I sent a rough demo to Ben and he recorded some vocals over it. The first time I heard the rough vocals the whole song suddenly made sense and the arrangement flowed out of that. After my early experimentations with vocals on Weather this felt like a great opportunity to put everything I had learned during that process into practice. It was certainly an honor to be able to work with such an iconic voice.
Ben added:
In 2014 while reading ‘This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate’ by Naomi Klein, I came across a quote from Montanan goat rancher and environmentalist Alexis Bonogofsky that moved me immensely. Speaking about the fight to protect public lands in southeastern Montana from the mining company Arch Coal, she said: ‘(The) connection to this place and the love people have for it, that’s what Arch Coal doesn’t get. They underestimate that. They don’t understand it so they disregard it. And that’s what in the end will save that place. It’s not the hatred for the coal companies or anger, but love will save this place.
When Scott sent me the music for ‘Only Love,’ it seemed perfect for this statement. Since reading Alexis’ words, I’ve carried them as a universal truth; that the only way we preserve the people, places or things we care for is with love, not hatred. This is often easier said than done, of course. But I find myself coming back to her statement as if it were a mantra.
I grew up hiking and camping on public lands here in Washington State and my love for them has only increased since becoming a mountain / ultra / trail runner. They were in the forefront of my mind while working on this song.
Tycho also has upcoming dates, including his ISO50 show at Brooklyn Mirage on July 23 with RAC (DJ set), Com Truise (DJ set), Roosevelt (DJ set), Heathered Pearls, and Nitemoves (tickets). All dates are listed below.
Ben's also playing Newport Folk Fest solo, and Death Cab have upcoming shows too. Those dates are listed below too.
Tycho -- 2021 Tour Dates
JULY
23 - Brooklyn, NY - The Brooklyn Mirage (ISO50 Set)
24 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheater (DJ Set)
AUGUST
14 - Palm Springs, CA - Splash House (DJ Set)
SEPTEMBER
5 - Chicago, IL - North Coast Festival (ISO50 Set)
Ben Gibbard -- 2021 Tour Dates
7/26 - Newport Folk Festival - Newport, RI
Death Cab For Cutie -- 2021 Tour Dates
SEPTEMBER
3 - Bozeman, MT - The Elm ^ [SOLD OUT]
4 - Missoula, MT - KettleHouse Amphitheater ^
6 - Bend, OR - Les Schwab Amphitheater ^
7 - Nampa, ID - Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater ^
8 - Spokane, WA - Spokane Pavilion at Riverfront ^
10 - Ogden, UT - Ogden Twilight ^ [SOLD OUT]
11 - Vail, CO - Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater ^
13 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre * [SOLD OUT]
15 - Las Vegas, NV - The Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan #
16 - Reno, NV - Grand Theatre at Grand Sierra Resort #
17 - Napa, CA - Oxbow RiverStage #
^ with support from Deep Sea Diver
* with support from Perfume Genius
# with support from illuminati hotties