Death Cab for Cutie set a geotagged scavenger hunt for new single

The Future.  In support of their new album, Asphalt Meadows, Death Cab for Cutie released its latest single, “Rand McNally” via a geotagged search for one of the places the band has played at over the years. The song’s debut mixes fan loyalty, band trivia, and a reminder of the specialness of live music… which could create an opportunity for an enterprising developer and music lover to create searchable maps of band tours throughout history.

Play pilgrimage
Wired reports that Death Cab for Cutie is sending its fans on a quest.

• For the release of their newest single, “Rand McNally,” the brand launched the “Death Cab for Cutie Map,” which was created by London-based digital map-design firm Landmark.
• The web-based map directed people to go to one of the more than 800 places they’ve played since 1997. Once there, they could access a geotag which unlocked the new song — a prize for the diehard Death Cab fans.

The locations (a mix of still-standing venues and long-lost clubs) were aggregated thanks to a mix of records from Death Cab’s tour manager and booking agent, Setlist.fm, and the defunct fan site dcfc-tour.net by using the Wayback Machine.

Van stans
Death Cab for Cutie has been touring for a while, having played 1,375 shows to date. According to bassist Nick Harmer, the geotagged single is meant to be a nod to that “legacy” and also a thank you to the fans who have seen them play.

And with the pandemic keeping people indoors for so long, Death Cab also hopes that it gets people nostalgic for live music again. Band manager Jordan Kurland said the map could connect fans to “a time and place.”

Just writing this makes us want to go to the next Death Cab concert.