Ben Gibbard with Teenage Fanclub's Norman Blake

It’s no secret that Death Cab For Cutie's Ben Gibbard deeply admires Norman Blake’s band, Teenage Fanclub. In fact, he’s called 1991’s masterpiece Bandwagonesque his favorite album of all time; he loves it so much that just a few years ago, he recorded and released a cover of the entire thing. With that album turning 30 this year, and with a fantastic new Teenage Fanclub album, Endless Arcade, out this week it seemed the perfect time to get the two together.

For this conversation, the two old friends dive into what their pandemic lives have been like, which includes lots of songwriting and record collecting. They also talk about the joy that comes from being a lifer in the rock and roll business, how streaming has affected all of the above, and how deeply emotional a return to rocking is likely to be for both of them. Enjoy.