Benjamin Gibbard releases new single, "Life in Quarantine"

"The airports and train stations are full of desperate people / But no one is going anywhere soon," proclaims Benjamin Gibbard in the melancholy chorus of his new single, "Life in Quarantine," available digitally and streaming everywhere today.

The Seattle-based Death Cab for Cutie front man unveiled the new song in a video late last week as part of local alt-weekly The Stranger's A Message to the City series, noting "I know this is a really f---ed up and scary time for everybody, including myself, and I know that we're all trying to figure out what to do to make it better or alleviate the suffering of someone else."

The track released today is a new home-studio recording of "Life in Quarantine." Net proceeds from the digital release will be donated to Seattle-area relief organizations, including homelessness-support services non-profit Aurora Commons, a welcoming space for unhoused Seattle residents to rest, prepare a meal, connect to resources, and collectively create a healthy and vibrant community. Gibbard has also been live streaming daily concerts from his home since the beginning of the Seattle area's voluntary social-distancing efforts on March 17th. The livestreams, which have included songs from throughout his career with Death Cab, The Postal Service and his solo material along with covers and other surprises, has been featured by outlets such as Rolling Stone, Newsweek, Variety, NPR, and more and prompted Stereogum to ask, "Is Ben Gibbard going to single-handedly get us all through quarantine? I mean, a lot of other people are doing livestream performances, but Gibbard is really going all in: He is playing daily, and every day he brings something new to the table."

The concerts are archived on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitch and begin at 4pm PST daily. Donations to a variety of non-profit organizations helping to deal with the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic are encouraged with every streamed set. 26 Mar 2020

Temporary Shop Closure

In doing our part to help slow the spread of COVID-19 here in Seattle, all Barsuk staff are working remotely and our online shop is temporarily closed. We remain available via email, but won't be able to ship orders for what could be a few weeks.

If you have any questions or encounter problems with our site, please write to us and we'll do what we can to set things right.

If you'd like us to notify you when we re-open the shop, please enter your email address here.

Due to event cancellations and public health concerns, many artists are looking ahead to an unexpectedly difficult year. Now more than ever, please consider supporting musicians by purchasing merch from their online shops and by buying their music from local record retailers who are also hurting, many of whom are filling mailorders or offering delivery, even if they've closed their doors to shoppers.

Be safe out there, and please do what you can to help support hospitals and medical staff by working to prevent rapid spread of the virus. 19 Mar 2020

Phantogram's "Ceremony" out today

We're excited to announce the release of Phantogram's "Ceremony", out now via Republic Records. To celebrate the occasion, all of Phantogram's music is 15% off in the Barsuk shop. 06 Mar 2020

Nada Surf "So Much Love" video and contest

Today, Nada Surf has released a new video for "So Much Love" from their new LP, Never Not Together. The video was directed by Michael Arthur, and it's available here. "Since we had only a few days to make the video for 'So Much Love,' we tried to keep it simple, focussing on the band, alone in the dark and gradually expanding the vision to a cosmic sense of love and hope," Arthur said. "We went in not really knowing what we were doing, but staying open to the idea of this expansive love and the collaborative spirit of all involved."

The band is also excited to announce the "So Much Love" fan video contest in partnership with Fender Guitars, open to anyone who wants to make their own "So Much Love" music video, expressing what the song means to them. Interested directors can download hi-resolution audio here.

"I've described this song so many different ways," recalls Matthew Caws. "It's about good will between people, it's about our ability to find positivity even while in difficult circumstances, about seeing beauty everywhere by working to reframe our judgement. We're good at feeling good and we're good at feeling bad and we can spend a lifetime navigating that. All this is why it would be so exciting for us to see your interpretation of the song!"

The band will select one entry as the winning video and promote that video via their socials and web site. In addition, the winner will receive a Fender Player Telecaster from Fender Guitars and a selection of merchandise and vinyl from Nada Surf. Fans and video makers interested in submitting their work must post their work on YouTube on or before April 30th with the hashtag #SoMuchLove.

"I've always believed that how someone hears a song is just as valid as what the writer was feeling when they wrote it," says Caws. "If it makes you want to make something, please do, we'd be thrilled!" 25 Feb 2020

Nada Surf release new single, "So Much Love"

Nada Surf has announced today's premiere of "So Much Love," the latest iconic single from their long-awaited new LP, Never Not Together. The song is available for streaming and download now.

"'So Much Love' is a song that celebrates good will between people," says Nada Surf's Matthew Caws. "Sometimes it can be hard to remember that it's there. But it's all around us. A little tolerance and acceptance can be built on. Small gestures add up. We're good at love and being kind. It comes naturally to us, but so do other things. You just have to keep looking for the right way to lean." 08 Jan 2020

Nada Surf video, "Looking For You"

Watch the video for Nada Surf's new track, "Looking For You" out now! Never Not Together is out February 7 and available for pre-order now. 10 Dec 2019

"I'll Send You The Stars: Songs Of James Mendenhall"

We are honored to announce "I'll Send You the Stars: Songs of James Mendenhall", a celebration of the life of James Mendenhall, frontman of Pacific Northwest indie-rock band, The Prom. The album is a collection of songs written by James and performed by many of his friends and former tour-mates, as a homage to the incredible songwriter that he was. Under The Radar is premiering two of those songs today performed by Benjamin Gibbard and Telekinesis, ahead of the full record's digital release tomorrow, Friday, January 3.

All of Barsuk's profits from sales and streams of "I'll Send You The Stars: Songs of James Mendenhall" will be donated to Cancer Pathways, a 501(c)(3) non-profit in Seattle, Washington. For over 18 years, Cancer Pathways has offered education, support, and family programs to children, teens, and adults living with cancer, along with their families and friends. 02 Jan 2020