Death Cab for Cutie return with a new album and an expanded tour: I Built You a Tower arrives June 5 on Anti-, their first LP in four years and their first release on an independent label in two decades. The band also released a new single, “Riptide”, accompanied by a performance video, and added a European leg to a summer North American run—news that reshapes their post-anniversary schedule and gives fans a clear new moment to follow.
The record follows 2022’s Asphalt Meadows, which appeared on Atlantic, and was produced and engineered by veteran producer John Congleton. Sessions took place at Congleton’s Animal Rites studio in Los Angeles as well as in the band members’ own home studios across Seattle, Bellingham, Los Angeles and Portland.
The newly released single arrives with a live-style video directed by Jason Lester. Ben Gibbard described the track’s subject matter as the difficulty of managing private struggles while the wider world confronts large-scale loss—how personal wounds and public tragedy can collide and leave a person feeling stuck.
Those themes grew out of the group’s recent live work: anniversary shows for Transatlanticism and Plans, plus extensive Postal Service dates, preceded the return to the studio. Guitarist Dave Depper said the reunion concerts cleared the band of nostalgia and left them intent on translating the energy of those performances into fresh studio material.
- Why this matters: the switch to Anti- signals a notable shift in the band’s label relationship after decades on major imprints, while the album’s preoccupation with grief and resilience gives it cultural resonance in a time of ongoing global upheaval.
Below are the announced dates for the upcoming run. Support acts are noted where provided.
- 05‑29 — Denver, CO — Outside Days
- 07‑10 — Minneapolis, MN — Armory (with Jay Som)
- 07‑11 — Milwaukee, WI — Miller High Life Theatre (with Jay Som)
- 07‑12 — Indianapolis, IN — Everwise Amphitheater (with Jay Som)
- 07‑14 — Cincinnati, OH — MegaCorp Pavilion (with Jay Som)
- 07‑15 — Cleveland, OH — Jacobs Pavilion (with Jay Som)
- 07‑17 — Philadelphia, PA — Highmark Mann Center (with Japanese Breakfast)
- 07‑18 — Canandaigua, NY — CMAC (with Japanese Breakfast)
- 07‑19 — Toronto, ON — RBC Amphitheatre (with Japanese Breakfast)
- 07‑21 — Columbia, MD — Merriweather Post Pavilion (with Japanese Breakfast)
- 07‑22 — Raleigh, NC — Walnut Creek (with Japanese Breakfast)
- 07‑24 — St. Louis, MO — Stifel Theatre (with Nation of Language)
- 07‑25 — Bentonville, AR — The Momentary (with Nation of Language)
- 07‑26 — Council Bluffs, IA — Harrah’s Stir Cove (with Nation of Language)
- 07‑28 — Sandy, UT — Sandy Amphitheater (with Nation of Language)
- 07‑29 — Sandy, UT — Sandy Amphitheater (with Nation of Language)
- 07‑31 — Phoenix, AZ — Arizona Financial Theatre (with Nation of Language)
- 08‑02 — Los Angeles, CA — The Greek Theatre (with Nation of Language)
- 08‑03 — Los Angeles, CA — The Greek Theatre (with Nation of Language)
- 08‑04 — San Diego, CA — Gallagher Square at Petco Park (with Nation of Language)
- 08‑06 — Las Vegas, NV — The Theater at Virgin Hotels (with Lala Lala)
- 08‑07 — Paso Robles, CA — Vina Robles Amphitheatre (with Lala Lala)
- 08‑09 — San Francisco, CA — Outside Lands
- 09‑16 — Dublin, Ireland — 3Olympia Theatre
- 09‑19 — Manchester, England — O2 Victoria Warehouse
- 09‑20 — Edinburgh, Scotland — Corn Exchange
- 09‑21 — Gateshead, England — The Glasshouse
- 09‑23 — Bristol, England — The Prospect Building
- 09‑25 — London, England — Troxy
- 09‑29 — Utrecht, Netherlands — TivoliVredenburg
- 09‑30 — Brussels, Belgium — Cirque Royal
- 10‑01 — Berlin, Germany — Columbiahalle
- 10‑03 — Paris, France — Elysée Montmartre
Support bill codes in the schedule: Jay Som, Japanese Breakfast, Nation of Language and Lala Lala appear on different legs.
What to watch next: critics and listeners will be looking for how the band’s move to an indie label affects promotion and creative direction, and whether Congleton’s production nudges their sound into new territory. Thematically, the record’s focus on holding and releasing grief could make it one of the more emotionally direct Death Cab releases in recent years.
For now, fans have a new single and a full tour to anticipate—plus a June release date that turns this moment into the band’s next public chapter. Keep an eye out for further previews, reviews and live reports as the album rollout continues.
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