Chris Walla

While at Bothell High School 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.[1] Walla regularly performed at these shows, as well as serving as MC. One performance by Walla included a song by Talking Heads. These early Open Microphone shows proved popular and continued for over twenty years, moving from Bothell High School to Inglemoor High School when teacher Drumheller transferred there.[2] Walla was in a short-lived band called The Wallflowers (not to be confused with The Wallflowers of California). Later, in 2001, he was an early member of the Seattle band The Long Winters.

Walla joined Death Cab for Cutie in 1997, after moving to Bellingham, Washington where guitarist/singer Ben Gibbard and bassist Nick Harmer were attending Western Washington University. 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" and "I Will Possess Your Heart".

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."[3] Walla's last performance with the band occurred on September 13, 2014 at the Rifflandia Music Festival in Victoria, British Columbia.[4]

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. 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."[5]

Walla has recorded a variety of solo material and released his debut solo album, Field Manual, in 2008 on Barsuk Records. 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.[6]

A solo instrumental album, titled Tape Loops, was released on October 16, 2015.

On October 6, 2023, Walla released the EP 2002 on Bandcamp, consisting of three previously unreleased songs written and recorded by him in the year 2002. [7]

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, released in 1998. Walla produced all releases by Death Cab for Cutie until Kintsugi except 1997's You Can Play These Songs with Chords 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.[8]