Christopher Ryan Walla (born November 2, 1975) is an American musician,

record producer A record producer or music producer is a music creating project's overall supervisor whose responsibilities can involve a range of creative and technical leadership roles. Typically the job involves hands-on oversight of recording sessions; ensu ...

, and film music composer, best known for being a former guitarist and songwriter for the band

Death Cab for Cutie Death Cab for Cutie (commonly abbreviated to DCFC or Death Cab) is an American rock music, rock band formed in Bellingham, Washington, in 1997. Death Cab for Cutie's music has been classified as indie rock, indie pop, and alternative rock. The ...

Musical career

Early bands

While at

Bothell High School Bothell High School is located in Bothell, Washington, United States, and is one of six high schools in the Northshore School District. Approximately 1,500 students in grades 9 through 12 attend the school, which is a member of the KingCo 4A athl ...

in the early 1990s, Walla started a program called Open Microphone with creative writing teacher Laura Drumheller, as a noon-time forum for the arts, which allowed any student to take the stage and perform. Walla regularly performed at these shows, as well as serving as MC. One performance by Walla included a song by

Talking Heads Talking Heads were an American Rock music, rock band formed in New York City in 1975.Talking Heads

. These early Open Microphone shows proved popular and continued for over twenty years, moving from Bothell High School to

Inglemoor High School Inglemoor High School is a public high school located in Kenmore, Washington, United States. In 2024, the student population was approximately 1,463 students in grades 9–12. Starting from the 2017 school year, the school accommodates 9th grade ...

when teacher Drumheller transferred there. Walla was in a short-lived band called The Wallflowers (not to be confused with

The Wallflowers The Wallflowers are an American rock music, rock solo project of American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jakob Dylan. The Wallflowers were originally a roots rock band formed in Los Angeles by Dylan and guitarist Tobi Miller. It ha ...

of California). Later, in 2001, he was an early member of the

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

band

The Long Winters The Long Winters are an American indie rock band based in Seattle, Washington. History Singer-songwriter John Roderick was born in Seattle, Washington, and grew up in Anchorage, Alaska. He later returned to Seattle, where he formed the Bun Fam ...

Death Cab for Cutie

Walla joined

in 1997, after moving to

Bellingham, Washington Bellingham ( ) is the county seat of Whatcom County, Washington, Whatcom County in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. It lies south of the Canada–United States border, U.S.–Canada border, between Vancouver, British Columbia, ...

where guitarist/singer

Ben Gibbard Benjamin Gibbard (born August 11, 1976) is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is best known as the lead vocalist and guitarist of the indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie, with whom he has recorded ten studio albums, and as a membe ...

and bassist Nick Harmer were attending

Western Washington University Western Washington University (WWU or Western) is a public university in Bellingham, Washington, United States. The northernmost university in the contiguous United States, WWU was founded in 1893 as the state-funded New Whatcom Normal School, s ...

. Eventually releasing seven albums, four EPs and two live EPs with the band, Walla co-wrote many of their hit songs, including "

Title and Registration "Title and Registration" is a song by indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie, the third single from their fourth studio album, ''Transatlanticism''. It was officially released in 2005, as an internet-only single that could be streamed through the ba ...

" and "

I Will Possess Your Heart "I Will Possess Your Heart" is an alternative rock song recorded by the American band Death Cab for Cutie. The song depicts a one-sided obsessive relationship, which led '' Paste'' to name it one of the 25 creepiest songs about love. It is notable ...

". On August 13, 2014, after 17 years with Death Cab for Cutie, Chris Walla decided to part ways with the band, stating that he plans to "continue making music, producing records, and erring on the side of benevolence and beauty whenever possible." Walla's last performance with the band occurred on September 13, 2014, at the

Rifflandia Music Festival Rifflandia Music Festival is a four-day multi-venue music festival held at the Royal Athletic Park in Victoria, British Columbia. With no fixed date, the festival has occurred in the month-long span between the last weekend of August and the last w ...

Victoria, British Columbia Victoria is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of British Columbia, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific Ocean, Pacific coast. The city has a population of 91,867, and the Gre ...

. In a 2015 interview, Walla explained that he left the band because he found himself uninterested in the music they were working on for the band's eighth studio album, ''

Kintsugi Kintsugi (/kɪnˈtsuːɡi/, Japanese: 金継ぎ, ʲint͡sɯɡʲi lit. "golden joinery"), also known as , is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery by mending the areas of breakage with ''urushi'' lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered ...

''. He critiqued the songs as "flat," none of his ideas seemed to be sticking, and he felt the band needed an infusion of fresh blood; "I was really dissatisfied with where the Death Cab stuff had gotten to when I quit as producer, and that’s why I quit."

Solo projects

Walla has recorded a variety of solo material and released his debut solo album, ''

Field Manual ''Field Manual'' is the debut solo album by Death Cab for Cutie guitarist Chris Walla, released on January 29, 2008 on Barsuk Records. This is Walla's first album under his own name. It was previously speculated that Walla may use a moniker, mo ...

'', in 2008 on

Barsuk Records Barsuk Records ( ) is an independent record label based in Seattle, Washington which was founded in 1998 by Christopher Possanza and Josh Rosenfeld, the members of the band This Busy Monster, to release their band's material. Its logo is a draw ...

. The song "Sing Again" became available for free download from Barsuk's website. Before the release of ''Field Manual'', it was reported that two tracks recorded for Death Cab for Cutie's 2005 album, '' Plans'', would be featured, but this is unconfirmed. Some of Walla's solo work has been released using the name Martin Youth Auxiliary, such as a cassette was released in 1999 on Elsinor Records. A solo instrumental album, titled ''Tape Loops'', was released on October 16, 2015. On October 6, 2023, Walla released the EP ''2002'' on

Bandcamp Bandcamp is an American online music distribution platform founded in 2008 by Oddpost co-founder Ethan Diamond and programmers Shawn Grunberger, Joe Holt and Neal Tucker, with an office and record store in Oakland, California. Acquired by Epic ...

, consisting of three previously unreleased songs written and recorded by him in the year 2002.

Production

In addition to being a musician Walla has a long career as a producer, earning production, engineering, and mixing credits on over thirty albums and EPs. His first credit was as the producer for Death Cab for Cutie's debut album, ''

Something About Airplanes ''Something About Airplanes'' is the debut studio album by American indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie, released August 18, 1998, on Barsuk Records. A tenth-anniversary edition of the album was released November 25, 2008, featuring redesigned art ...

'', released in 1998. Walla produced all releases by Death Cab for Cutie until Kintsugi except 1997's ''

You Can Play These Songs with Chords ''You Can Play These Songs with Chords'' is an early (1996–97) demo from the rock band Death Cab for Cutie, which at the time consisted entirely of founder Ben Gibbard. This demo was originally released on cassette by Elsinor Records. It prov ...

'' EP, which was produced by Ben Gibbard. However, Walla earned production credits on the 2002 re-release of ''You Can Play These Songs with Chords'', which featured 10 new songs. It was announced via Kelly Porter's Facebook Page Walla would be doing guitar work for her upcoming recording work.

Studios

Walla founded his own recording studio, located within his home in

Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...

, named the Alberta Court. Prior to moving to Portland, from 2000 to 2005, he was the owner/proprietor of

recording studio, the Hall of Justice, where Death Cab for Cutie and many

Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest (PNW; ) is a geographic region in Western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Though no official boundary exists, the most common ...

bands recorded over the years. In 2012, Walla began rebuilding the Hall of Justice after moving back to Seattle.

Personal life

Walla married scholar, knitwear designer, and illustrator Dianna Potter in February 2013, at the

Swedish Cultural Center The Swedish Cultural Center is a meeting spot for Scandinavians in Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is the List of municipalities in Washington, most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington and in the Pacific Nor ...

in Seattle. Since leaving the band, Walla and his wife moved to

Montreal, Quebec Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

before later settling in

Trondheim, Norway Trondheim ( , , ; ), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros, and Trondhjem (), is a city and List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 2022, it had a population of 212,660. Trondheim is the third most populou ...

Discography

;Selected credits * Snarls, ''With Love,'' (2024) - Producer *

Ratboys Ratboys are an American indie rock band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 2010 by Julia Steiner and Dave Sagan. The band consists of Julia Steiner (guitar, vocals), Dave Sagan (guitar), Marcus Nuccio (drums) and Sean Neumann (bass, vocals). Fo ...

, '' The Window'' (2023) - Producer, mixer * Pinegrove, '' 11:11'' (2022) – Mixer *

Braids A braid (also referred to as a plait; ) is a complex structure or pattern formed by interlacing three or more strands of flexible material such as textile yarns, wire, or hair. The simplest and most common version is a flat, solid, three-strand ...

, '' Shadow Offering'' (2020) – Producer * Mike Edel, Thresholds (2019) - Producer *

Foxing Foxing is an age-related process of deterioration that causes spots and browning on paper documents such as books, postage stamps, old paper money and certificates, and on textiles such as clothing and artists' canvasses. The name may be a var ...

, '' Nearer My God'' (2018) – Producer *

Lo Moon Lo Moon is an American rock band from Los Angeles that was formerly signed to Columbia Records. The band released their first single, "Loveless", in September 2016. Their self-titled debut studio album was released on February 23, 2018. Histor ...

, ''

'' (2018) – Producer *

Gotch Gotch is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Brad Gotch (born 1962), Australian rules footballer *Francis Gotch (1853–1913), British neurophysiologist *Frank Gotch (1878–1917), American professional wrestler * Frank Gotch (p ...

, ''Good New Times'' (2016) – Co-producer *

, ''

'' (2015) – Writer *

Rocky Votolato Rocky Votolato (born March 8, 1977, in Dallas, Texas, United States) is an American indie and folk singer-songwriter. He was also a member of the rock group Waxwing. in 2025, he started a new band called Suzzallo with bandmate Rudy Gajadhar on d ...

, ''Hospital Handshakes'' (2015) – Producer, engineer, mixer *

Fences A fence is a barrier enclosing or bordering a field, yard, etc., usually made of posts and wire or wood, used to prevent entrance, to confine, or to mark a boundary. Fence or fences may also refer to: Entertainment Music * Fences (band), an Amer ...

, ''Lesser Oceans'' (2015) – Producer, engineer, writer, programming * William Fitzsimmons, ''Lions'' (2014) – Producer, engineer, mixer, writer * The Lonely Forest, ''Adding Up the Wasted Hours'' (2013) – Engineer, mixer *

, '' Codes and Keys'' (2011) – Producer, engineer, mixer, writer *

Telekinesis Telekinesis () (alternatively called psychokinesis) is a purported psychic ability allowing an individual to influence a physical system without physical interaction. Experiments to prove the existence of telekinesis have historically been cri ...

, ''12 Desperate Straight Lines'' (2011) – Engineer, mixer, writer * The Lonely Forest, ''Arrows'' (2011) – Producer, engineer, mixer *

Ra Ra Riot Ra Ra Riot is an American indie rock band consisting of vocalist Wes Miles, bassist Mathieu Santos, guitarist Milo Bonacci, violinist Rebecca Zeller and drummer Kenny Bernard. History Ra Ra Riot formed in January 2006, playing at houses and ve ...

, '' The Orchard'' (2010) – Mixer *

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin (SSLYBY) is an American indie pop band from Springfield, Missouri. They are named after Boris Yeltsin, the first President (government title), President of Russia after the breakup of the Soviet Union. Their ...

, ''

Let It Sway ''Let It Sway'' is the third full-length studio album from American indie pop/rock band Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin. It was released through Polyvinyl Records on August 17, 2010. Track listing # "Back in the Saddle " – 4:28 # "Sink/ ...

'' (2010) – Co-producer, engineer *

The Thermals The Thermals were an American indie rock band based in Portland, Oregon, United States. The group was formed in 2002. With influences heavily rooted in both lofi, as well as standard rock, the band's songs were also known for their political a ...

, ''

Personal Life Personal life is the course or state of an personhood, individual's life, especially when viewed as the sum of personal choices contributing to one's personal identity. Apart from hunter-gatherers, most pre-modern peoples' time was limited by ...

'' (2010) – Producer, engineer, mixer *

Gordon Downie Gordon Edgar Downie (February 6, 1964 – October 17, 2017) was a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, musician, writer, poet, and activist. He was the singer and lyricist for the Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip, which he fronted from it ...

, ''

The Grand Bounce ''The Grand Bounce'' is the third solo album by Gord Downie, the lead singer of The Tragically Hip. It was released on 8 June 2010. Background Downie's backing band, "The Country of Miracles", is composed of established Canadian musicians Jul ...

'' (2010) – Producer, engineer, mixer *

, '' The Twilight Saga: New Moon (soundtrack)'' (2009) – Producer, engineer, mixer, writer *

, '' The Open Door EP'' (2009) – Producer, engineer, mixer, writer *

Tegan and Sara Tegan and Sara () are a Canadian indie pop duo formed in 1998 in Calgary, Alberta. The band is led by identical twin sisters, Tegan Rain Quin and Sara Keirsten Quin (born September 19, 1980). Both musicians are songwriters and multi-instrumentali ...

, ''

Sainthood In Christian belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and denomination. In Anglican, Oriental Orth ...

'' (2009) – Co-producer, engineer *

, '' Telekinesis!'' (2009) – Producer, engineer, mixer * So Many Dynamos, ''The Loud Wars'' (2009) – Producer, engineer, mixer *

, ''

Narrow Stairs ''Narrow Stairs'' is the sixth studio album by indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie, released on May 12, 2008, in the United Kingdom and on May 13, 2008, in the United States, on Atlantic Records, Atlantic and Barsuk Records. Four Single (music), ...

'' (2008) – Producer, engineer, mixer, writer *

Mates of State Mates of State are an American indie pop duo, active since 1997. The group is the husband-and-wife team of Kori Gardner (born June 16, 1974) (vocals, organ, synthesizer, piano, electric piano, and occasional guitar and drums) and Jason Hammel (b ...

, ''

Re-Arrange Us ''Re-Arrange Us'' is the fifth studio album by American indie pop duo Mates of State. It was released on May 20, 2008 via Barsuk Records, making it the band's second album for the label. Production was handled by Peter Katis and the duo themselves ...

'' (2008) – Producer, engineer, loops *

Youth Group Youth Group is an Australian rock band based in Newtown, New South Wales. Built around the vocals of singer Toby Martin and production of Wayne Connolly, the sound of Youth Group is reminiscent of indie rock artists such as Teenage Fanclub, ...

, '' The Night Is Ours'' (2008) – Guitar, vocals (background), mixer *

Nada Surf Nada Surf is an American alternative rock band formed in New York City in 1992, consisting of Matthew Caws (guitar, vocals), Ira Elliot (drums), and Daniel Lorca (bass, backing vocals). After initially operating under the name Helicopter, Caw ...

, '' Lucky'' (2008) – Engineer * Chris Walla, ''

'' (2008) – Producer, engineer, mixer, writer *

, '' The Con'' (2007) – Producer, engineer, mixer *

The Decemberists The Decemberists are an American indie rock band from Portland, Oregon, formed in 2000. The band consists of Colin Meloy (lead vocals, guitar), Chris Funk (guitar, multi-instrumentalist), Jenny Conlee (piano, keyboards, accordion, backing vocals ...

, ''

The Crane Wife ''The Crane Wife'' is the fourth album by the Decemberists, released in 2006. It was produced by Tucker Martine and Chris Walla, and is the band's first album on the Capitol Records label. The album was inspired by a Japanese folk tale, and cente ...

'' (2006) – Producer, engineer, mixer *

, '' Plans'' (2005) – Producer, engineer, Mixer, writer * Youth Group, '' Casino Twilight Dogs'' (2005) – Mixer * Youth Group, '' Forever Young'' (2005) – Mixer * Nada Surf, ''

The Weight Is a Gift ''The Weight Is a Gift'' is the fourth album by American alternative rock band Nada Surf. It was released via Barsuk Records in 2005. Recording The album was produced by Death Cab for Cutie guitarist Chris Walla and mixed by Geoff Sanoff, John ...

'' (2005) – Producer, engineer * The Decemberists, ''

Picaresque The picaresque novel (Spanish: ''picaresca'', from ''pícaro'', for ' rogue' or 'rascal') is a genre of prose fiction. It depicts the adventures of a roguish but appealing hero, usually of low social class, who lives by his wits in a corrupt ...

'' (2005) – Producer, engineer, mixer * The Decemberists, '' The Tain'' (2005) – Producer, engineer, mixer * The Thermals, '' Fuckin A'' (2004) – Producer, engineer, mixer *

, ''

Transatlanticism ''Transatlanticism'' is the fourth studio album by Rock music, rock band Death Cab for Cutie, released on October 7, 2003, by Barsuk Records. At this point in their career, the group had toured and recorded for nearly a half-decade. With tensions ...

'' (2003) – Producer, engineer, mixer, writer *

, ''

When I Pretend to Fall ''When I Pretend to Fall'' is the second album by indie rock band The Long Winters. It was released on Barsuk Records in 2003. Track listing # "Blue Diamonds" – 3:49 # "Scared Straight" – 4:17 # "Shapes" – 4:03 # "Cinnamon ...

'' (2003) – Producer, engineer, mixer *

The Postal Service The Postal Service was an American indie pop group from Seattle, Seattle, Washington, consisting of singer Ben Gibbard, producer Dntel, Jimmy Tamborello (also known by his stage name, Dntel), and Jenny Lewis on background vocals. The band relea ...

, ''

Give Up ''Give Up'' is the only studio album by American electronic duo the Postal Service, released on February 18, 2003, by Sub Pop Records. The Postal Service was a collaboration between singer-songwriter Ben Gibbard, best-known for his work with indi ...

'' (2003) – Engineer, piano, drums, vocals * The Stratford 4, ''Love & Distortion'' (2003) – Producer, engineer, mixer *

, '' More Parts per Million'' (2003) – Mixer *

, '' Suicide Medicine'' (2003) – Producer, engineer, mixer * Rocky Votolato, ''Light and Sound EP'' (2003) – Producer, engineer, mixer *

, '' The Stability EP'' (2002) – Producer, engineer, mixer, writer *

, ''

'' (2002) – Producer, engineer, mixer, writer *

David Cross David Cross (born April 4, 1964) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and director. Cross is best known for his stand-up performances, the HBO sketch comedy series '' Mr. Show with Bob and David'' (1995–1998), his role as Ian Hawk ...

, ''

Shut Up You Fucking Baby! ''Shut Up, You Fucking Baby!'' is a double- CD, live comedy album by David Cross, compiled mainly from shows performed in Portland, Oregon, and in Atlanta, Georgia, Cross's hometown. It was nominated for a Grammy for Best Comedy Album in 200 ...

'' (2002) – Engineer *

Carissa's Wierd Carissa's Wierd was an American indie rock band formed in Tucson, Arizona in 1995 by Mat Brooke and Jenn Champion, later moving to Seattle, Washington. The band later added Ben Bridwell and Sera Cahoone, releasing three albums before disba ...

, ''Songs About Leaving'' (2002) – Engineer, mixer *

Hot Hot Heat Hot Hot Heat was a Canadian indie rock band from Victoria, British Columbia, formed in 1999. The band was signed to Seattle label Sub Pop in 2001 and Warner Records throughout the majority of their career. The band has released five full-lengt ...

, '' Knock Knock Knock (EP)'' (2002) – Producer, engineer * Hot Hot Heat, ''

Make Up The Breakdown ''Make Up the Breakdown'' is the debut album by Hot Hot Heat, following the release of the '' Knock Knock Knock'' EP. It was released on October 8, 2002. It was ranked the 20th best album of the year on ''Pitchfork''s Top 50 Albums of 2002. Tra ...

'' (2002) – Additional recording, mixer * The Long Winters, ''

The Worst You Can Do Is Harm ''The Worst You Can Do Is Harm'' is the debut album by indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was or ...

'' (2002) – Producer, engineer, mixer * Nada Surf, '' Let Go'' (2002) – Engineer, mixer *

The Velvet Teen The Velvet Teen is an American independent rock trio from Sonoma County, California. History The Velvet Teen is originally the name of Judah Nagler's electronic solo project, whose official debut was made during a brief Icelandic tour that beg ...

, '' Out of the Fierce Parade'' (2002) – Producer, engineer *

, ''

The Photo Album ''The Photo Album'' is the third studio album by American indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie, released October 9, 2001 on Barsuk Records. The albums spawned three singles: " A Movie Script Ending", " I Was a Kaleidoscope", and " We Laugh Indoor ...

'' (2001) – Producer, engineer, mixer, writer *

, ''

The Forbidden Love EP ''The Forbidden Love EP'' is an EP by indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie, released October 24, 2000, on Barsuk Records. The songs "405 (Acoustic)" and "Company Calls Epilogue (Alternate Take)" are an acoustic version and remix, respectively, ...

'' (2000) – Producer, engineer, mixer, writer *

, ''

We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes ''We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes'' is the second studio album by American rock band Death Cab for Cutie. It was released on March 21, 2000, through Barsuk Records. The band, which originally included singer-songwriter Ben Gibbard, guitar ...

'' (2000) – Producer, engineer, mixer, writer *

, ''

'' (1998) – Producer, engineer, mixer, writer

References

External links

20 Questions to Christopher Walla
from 2000.
Hall of Justice Recording

Chris Walla interview, Jan. 2008
{{DEFAULTSORT:Walla, Chris 1975 births Living people American alternative rock guitarists American alternative rock singers American alternative rock musicians American indie rock musicians American male singers American rock guitarists American male guitarists Death Cab for Cutie members Singers from Oregon Singers from Washington (state) Record producers from Washington (state) People from Bothell, Washington Musicians from Seattle The Long Winters members American film score composers Guitarists from Washington (state) Guitarists from Oregon 21st-century American singers American male film score composers Barsuk Records artists Atlantic Records artists The Revolutionary Hydra members