Ben Gibbard wants to make one thing perfectly clear: there will be no second Postal Service album.
“There are no plans to make a second record,” Gibbard told Spinner in a recent interview. “I can’t say that enough.”
As a matter of fact, the vocalist for the apparently one-off electronic duo (Gibbard is also the frontman for the successful indie-rock band Death Cab for Cutie) doesn’t have much interest in further exploring that genre of music.
“I find that making music in computers involves a lot of mouse time,” Gibbard said of making the group’s 2003 debut album “Give Up.” I don’t have an aesthetic for that. Keeping up on new software technology, I’m not particularly interested in that.”
Despite peaking at only #114 on the Billboard 200, “Give Up” – a collaboration between Gibbard and producer Jimmy Tamborello – became a surprise success on the strength of its hummable first single “Such Great Heights.” The album was ultimately certified platinum by the RIAA.
“People don’t get what the Postal Service was meant to be. It was meant to be for fun,” Gibbard continued. “And just because it was so successful doesn’t mean that we have to make another one. If there’s any frustration I have with being asked that question all the time, I wish I could articulate the difference between a band and a project. A band is a living, breathing organism of people who are invested in each other in a very real way… I’ve done a lot of things and I haven’t followed up on any of them.”
Gibbard is currently focused on promoting his first full-length solo effort “Former Lives,” which was released by Barsuk Records earlier this month.
And after that? Not another Postal Service album. Probably.
“The door is not closed,” said Gibbard, backtracking just a tad. “But people shouldn’t hold their breath. You’re going to pass out if you do.”
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