Death Cab For Cutie frontman Ben Gibbard has shared a new song called “Proxima B” that he wrote to coincide with a since-canceled spring solo tour.
Although he debuted an acoustic version of the tune earlier this spring, the studio edition features complete instrumentation. He plans to release it as a seven-inch single and a cassette, with a gentle cover of the 1981 hardcore song “Filler” by Minor Threat as the B-side.
“Proxima B” is named after a possibly Earth-like planet that scientists have discovered, with Gibbard explaining, “The three things you need to know about Proxima B to understand the song are: One, there’s a planet called Proxima B that they think has water on it. It’s somewhat Earth-like. Secondly, it orbits the star called Centauri. And three, there’s been a lot of talk of ‘Ooh, maybe we can get there at some point.’ So I wrote this song in response to that.”
Gibbard has been busy during the lockdown, streaming daily and weekly performances from his living room, releasing a charity single and participating in other relief efforts.