The Postal Service: Indie Electronic Pioneers

The Postal Service is an American indie electronic duo, formed as a collaborative side project between Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard and producer Jimmy Tamborello. Hailing from Los Angeles, California, and Seattle, Washington, the group achieved unexpected and lasting success with their only studio album, 2003's "Give Up," which became Sub Pop Records' second-best-selling album since Nirvana's "Bleach."

Early Career

The Postal Service originated in 2001 through a long-distance musical exchange between Ben Gibbard and Jimmy Tamborello, who was also known for his work in Dntel and Figurine. The duo's name was derived from their creative process: they physically mailed CD-Rs and minidiscs of instrumental tracks and vocal recordings back and forth through the U.S. Postal Service, building songs layer by layer from separate home studios.

Breakthrough

The duo's breakthrough came with the 2003 release of their debut and only album, "Give Up," on the iconic Seattle label Sub Pop. Blending Tamborello's glitchy electronic beats and synth-pop melodies with Gibbard's introspective lyricism and melodic vocals, the album found a massive audience, eventually selling over one million copies and being certified Platinum by the RIAA, a rare feat for an indie electronic project.

Key Tracks

Such Great Heights - The album's lead single became an indie anthem, widely licensed in films and advertisements, and was notably covered by Iron & Wine.

We Will Become Silhouettes - This track, with its upbeat melody contrasting apocalyptic lyrics, showcased the duo's signature sound and received significant airplay on alternative radio.

The District Sleeps Alone Tonight - The opening track on "Give Up" perfectly introduced the duo's melancholic yet danceable style, establishing the album's emotional tone.

Following the surprise success of "Give Up," The Postal Service performed limited tours but remained a studio-bound project, with both members focusing on their primary bands. They released a 10th-anniversary deluxe edition of "Give Up" in 2013 and reunited for a brief, celebrated tour to mark the occasion, but have not produced new studio material, solidifying their legacy as a beloved, one-album phenomenon in the indie electronic genre.

Fans of The Postal Service's blend of emotive songwriting and electronic production often appreciate similar artists in the indie electronic sphere. The thoughtful, melodic electronica of Dntel is a direct link, as it is Jimmy Tamborello's main project. The wistful, synth-driven pop of M83 shares a similar grand, emotional scale. The lyrical indie sensibility of Death Cab for Cutie provides the clear connection through Ben Gibbard. Lastly, the intimate electronic textures of The Notwist offer a comparable fusion of indie rock and synthetic beats.