Zac Rae

Zac Rae
Rae with Death Cab for Cutie in 2019
Rae with Death Cab for Cutie in 2019
Background information
Genres
Occupations
  • Musician
  • songwriter
Instruments
  • Piano
  • keyboards
  • guitar
Years active2001–present
Labels

Zac Rae is an American musician, best known as the keyboardist, pianist, and multi-instrumentalist of the indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie, with whom he has recorded two studio albums and two EPs.

Rae is a former member of Alanis Morissette's backing band, which he joined in 2001 at the age of 21.[1] While touring and recording with Morissette, Rae worked extensively as a session musician, recording with Macy Gray, Stevie Nicks, Ringo Starr, Ziggy Marley, Jane's Addiction, Miley Cyrus and Against Me! amongst others.[2]

In 2015, Rae initially joined Death Cab for Cutie in a touring capacity, following the departure of founding member Chris Walla. In 2016, both he and touring guitarist Dave Depper were added to the band's core line-up.[3] Rae's first studio album with the band, Thank You for Today was released in 2018.

Alongside his duties in Death Cab for Cutie, Rae continues to record as an in-demand studio session musician, contributing to Leonard Cohen's final two studio albums, You Want It Darker (2016) and Thanks for the Dance (2019), and appearing on albums by Lana Del Rey, Dua Lipa, Sabrina Carpenter, Childish Gambino, Niall Horan, and Best Coast.[2]

  1. ^ Rengen, Jon (November 29, 2017). "Talent Scout - Zac Rae". Keyboard. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Zac Rae - Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
  3. ^ Goggins, Joe (August 7, 2018). "Death Cab For Cutie's Ben Gibbard: On new album 'Thank You For Today' and Seattle's slow disintegration". The Independent. Archived from the original on 2022-05-07. Retrieved March 27, 2020.