Hear Death Cab For Cutie Cover Yoko Ono’s ‘Waiting for the Sunrise’

Death Cab For Cutie has released a cover of Yoko Ono’s 1973 track, “Waiting for the Sunrise,” which is included on Ocean Child: Songs Of Yoko Ono, an upcoming tribute album honoring the groundbreaking artist curated by frontman Ben Gibbard. The album, scheduled for release Feb. 18, coincides with Ono’s 89th birthday.

“Waiting for the Sunrise” appeared on Ono’s album Approximately Infinite Universe. While Ono’s original is angular and upbeat, Gibbard and crew give the song a distinctly Death Cab emotive indie rock flair.

In January, two contributions to the compilation — David Byrne and Yo La Tengo’s rendition of “Who Has Seen the Wind?”, and Japanese Breakfast’s version of “Nobody Sees Me Like You Do” — were released.

Ocean Child also features contributions from artists including Sharon Van Etten (“Toyboat”), the Flaming Lips (“Mrs. Lennon”), and Stephin Merritt of the Magnetic Fields (“Listen, the Snow Is Falling”). Gibbard and music journalist Jenny Eliscu will also release an eponymous podcast about the compilation, with interviews from musicians featured on the album discussing the impact of Ono’s music and art.

Gibbard said the record was born out of both love and frustration. “As an advocate, the tallest hurdle to clear has always been the public’s ignorance as to the breadth of Yoko’s work,” he said in a statement. “She has consistently created melodies as memorable as those of best pop writers. As a lyricist, she has always written with poignance, sophistication, and deep introspection.” He added: “It is my sincere hope that a new crop of Yoko Ono fans fall in love with her songwriting due in some small part to this album we have put together.”