“The airports and train stations are full of desperate people / But no one is going anywhere soon,” proclaims Benjamin Gibbard in the melancholy chorus of his new single, “Life in Quarantine,” just released by Barsuk Records.
The Seattle-based Death Cab for Cutie front man unveiled the new song in a video as part of local alt-weekly The Stranger’s A Message to the City series, noting “I know this is a really f—ed up and scary time for everybody, including myself, and I know that we’re all trying to figure out what to do to make it better or alleviate the suffering of someone else.”
The track released by Barsuk is a new home-studio recording of “Life in Quarantine.”
Net proceeds from the digital release will be donated to Seattle-area relief organizations, including homelessness-support services non-profit Aurora Commons (https://www.auroracommons.org/), a welcoming space for unhoused Seattle residents to rest, prepare a meal, connect to resources, and collectively create a healthy and vibrant community.
Gibbard has also been live streaming daily concerts from his home since the beginning of the Seattle area’s voluntary social-distancing efforts on March 17th. The livestreams, which have included songs from throughout his career with Death Cab, The Postal Service and his solo material along with covers and other surprises too. The daily concerts ended this weekend but will continue once a week for the forseeable future. They are archived on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitch.
