The band was originally a solo project by Gibbard, who expanded the project into a complete group upon getting a record deal. They released their debut album, "Something About Airplanes", in 1998. The band's fourth album, 2003's "Transatlanticism", broke into the mainstream both critically and commercially; its songs were featured in various TV series and films. The band's major label debut for Atlantic Records, 2005's "Plans", went platinum. Their ninth and latest studio album, "Thank You for Today", was released in August 2018.