Chris Walla is arguably the secret to Death Cab For Cutie’s success. Sure, Ben Gibbard is the frontman and lyricist, but Chris Walla has produced every one of their albums. He’s also the guitarist weaving those lovely sheets of melody that in combination with Gibbard’s contributions have made their seven albums so memorable.

We’re excited to have Chris Walla stopping by the studios today. He’ll be the final guest on Tuesday’s Afternoon Shift before performing tonight at the Chicago Theatre (he’s come a long way from playing at Fireside Bowl).

Here’s three interesting things about Chris Walla

1. He volunteered for the Obama campaign a lot in 2008.
2. He’s worked with David Cross as an engineer.
3. He’s called Garrison Keillor his hero.

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UPDATE: Here’s three more interesting things Chris Walla shared in this interview

1. He’s currently working on rebuilding his Seattle studio, The Hall of Justice.
2. He used to remix the stereo version of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band using the balance knob on his parents’ stereo.
3. He’s really enjoying Seattle’s music scene right now- including Pickwick, Ivan and Alyosha, Bryan John Appleby and Campfire OK.