Death Cab for Cutie is a seminal band from Bellingham, Washington, that has been making influential music for almost 20 years. Hum was excited to continue our relationship with the band by designing the packaging, artwork, and website for their eighth full-length album, Kintsugi. Named after the traditional Japanese art of fixing broken ceramics with a combination of gold dust and resin, the title reflects the album’s themes of honoring breakage of the past.

Hum commissioned local artist Joe Rudko to reinterpret the themes of Kintsugi into a painstakingly created photo collage for the album’s cover. We developed a visual world around the art’s refined edges and muted palette, adding a gold vinyl and details to tie in the album’s theme. We extended the rich and meaningful aesthetic across everything from album packaging to merch, stage backdrops, and an updated website. Kintsugi reached number one on multiple Billboard charts, and was nominated for Best Rock Album at the 58th Grammy Awards.