Ben Gibbard Dedicates “Such Great Heights” to the U.S. Postal Service

Ben Gibbard recently launched the #TeamJoeSings campaign for the Democratic National Convention, endorsing Joe Biden for president. To kick off the series, Gibbard performed Death Cab for Cutie’s “Northern Lights” and The Postal Service’s “Such Great Heights.” The latter song was dedicated to the USPS, which has been at the center of political discussion over the past several weeks.

“I think more than any election in my lifetime, this one is of paramount importance,” Gibbard said in the livestream. “And one of the many institutions outside of democracy that is very core that is under fire is that of the United States Postal Service. I think in the midst of this global pandemic, nothing is more important than to being able to vote safely and securely and vote by mail has shown to be that over and over and over again.”

To clarify, back in the early 2000s, Gibbard was in a band called The Postal Service. When the band was in its early years, the USPS came after them for violating their trademark, but luckily they came to a wholesome compromise: the band could keep their name if, and only if, they promoted the postal service, according to Gibbard. Consequently, “Such Great Heights” was later used in a USPS advertisement.

Watch Gibbard’s at-home performance of “Northern Lights” and “Such Great Heights” below.