Jason McGerr, Death Cab for Cutie drummer, talks tour ahead of Pittsburgh show

Indie staples Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service are coming to Pittsburgh. On Thursday, the two acts will bring the tour celebrating the 20th anniversaries of their seminal records — “Transatlanticism” and “Give Up,” respectively — to the Petersen Events Center in Oakland.

The groups are linked by Ben Gibbard, who serves as a founding member and lead vocalist for both projects. While Death Cab for Cutie has produced a whole slate of studio albums — including 2022’s “Asphalt Meadows” — The Postal Service has only released one studio album, the aforementioned “Give Up,” in 2003.

Jason McGerr, drummer for Death Cab for Cutie, joined the band during the writing and recording of “Transatlanticism,” the album that marked the band’s big break — and which this tour celebrates.

“The fact that we can still go out and play these songs and see the resonance with this show with people, I guess it did something at that time and it lasted, and I’m just super thankful,” McGerr said.

McGerr has been playing the drums since the sixth grade. “It’s funny, I dropped my youngest son off at school the other day, it’s the middle school I attended,” he said. “He’s also a drummer, and I dropped him off at this music room, and I walked in there and this flood of memories came back.”

He was asked to join Death Cab a number of times before the timing finally worked out in early 2003, when the band was in the early stages of creating “Transatlanticism.” McGerr co-wrote songs on that album.

“I think we all pretty much contributed to that record,” he said.

Ben Gibbard did the bulk of writing on the band’s early albums, but Death Cab for Cutie’s writing process is collaborative, especially on their most recent releases, he explained.

“We often do this thing these days where someone will start a song — just the seeds or embryo of a song — and then pass it to another band member who gets time to work on it. We all take our turns with it, being editors and producers. That also means that we’re all responsible for coming up with melodies and maybe playing other instruments.”

This has been especially true since 2019’s “The Blue EP.”

“I’m a big believer in collaborating, but also giving people space and freedom to do what they want to do, versus micromanaging,” he said.

In case fans are curious, McGerr’s favorite Death Cab song to play is “What Sarah Said” from their 2005 album “Plans.”

“That song holds a special place in my heart,” he said.

He also loves songs from “Transatlanticism,” including “We Looked Like Giants” and “The New Year.”

“They’re always going to be fun to me because those are the first songs I ever got to write and play with the band, so it puts me in this time machine and I just go back to the excitement of being in the same room with the guys and playing the first shows with them … those songs just have an extra energy,” he said.

The band has gotten to do some onstage collaboration during this 20th anniversary tour with The Postal Service. The pop supergroup, comprised of Gibbard, Jimmy Tamborello and Jenny Lewis, brings a bit more levity to the show, McGerr said.

“It’s super fun to switch gears and have this sort of light-and-dark evening, where the ‘Transatlanticism’ set is very much the deep, emotional remember-when feeling and The Postal Service is very elated, very let’s dance, let’s party and have a great night. And then everyone gets to come together at the end of the night for a send-off,” he said.

“We all knew we were going to have fun and it was going to go well, but it’s gone so well and been such a great evening everywhere we go. I’m just so thankful that this came together,” he added.

“We love coming to Pittsburgh. It’s an awesome city. A beautiful city, too,” he said.

Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service will play the Petersen Events Center this Thursday night. For more information and tickets, visit ticketmaster.com.