Watch: Benjamin Gibbard’s New Video ‘Teardrop Windows’

Ben Gibbard has released a music video for lead single Teardrop Windows, taken from his new solo record Former Lives. Gibbard, the man behind Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service, has taken the music video as an opportunity to poke fun at his own straight-laced image.

The clip begins with some record executive telling Gibbard that he needs to re-invent himself as a bad boy so that people will buy his album. Gibbard reluctantly agrees and sets off to achieve a series of goals that will change him from being an average Joe to an outlaw rock star. Hijinks ensue as Gibbard attempts to get arrested, get a crazy tattoo, and get a reality TV show, with each act having the opposite result of what was intended.

When speaking to Stereogum about Former Lives, Gibbard said that the record was partly the result of having a handful of songs that didn’t fit in with any Death Cab for Cutie releases.

“It wasn’t a goal and it certainly wasn’t a reaction to any sort of dissatisfaction to recording with Death Cab or anything like that … and I never really had this idea that ‘Oh someday I’ll make a solo record,’ and that I’ll go solo, which is definitely not what this is,” Gibbard told Stereogum.

“In the past, whenever I’ve put out any solo recordings it’s just been of a function of the time in which I was in. I’m a songwriter and that’s my job, and with every record that we’ve made there would always be a couple of tunes that just didn’t seem to fit in with the band. If people wanted to be dismissive of the record, they could just say ‘Oh these are leftovers,’ but they’re really not,” Gibbard explained.

Watch: Benjamin Gibbard – Teardrop Windows

Must Read