Zac Rae

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 three 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. 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.

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. 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 has contributed 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, The Black Keys, Childish Gambino, Niall Horan, and Best Coast.

Early life Rae began taking piano lessons at the age of five. During high school, he would seek out live musical opportunities: "When I was in high school, you could get a gig playing jazz for a couple hours at places like Barnes and Noble. So my friends and I would play in little quartets, and each get paid in $25 gift cards, which translated to about two CDs. Later as a teenager, I spent some time on the Cuban jazz circuit in Los Angeles, which was a lot of fun."

Rae studied at USC Thornton School of Music in Southern California for two years, before dropping out to find full-time work as a musician: "Shockingly, no one has ever passed me over for a gig because I didn't have a degree."

Career Rae's professional career began in 1999: "Around the time I dropped out of music school in 1999, I met a group of more active musicians in LA and I started connecting and working with them in a band called Every Single Saturday. [...] One thing led to another and soon I was working full time doing session work, and then I got my first touring break with Alanis Morissette in 2001 when I was 21".

Discography with Death Cab for Cutie Thank You for Today (2018) The Blue EP (2019) The Georgia EP (2020) Asphalt Meadows (2022) I Built You a Tower (2026)

with Alanis Morissette Feast on Scraps (2002) So-Called Chaos (2004) Jagged Little Pill Acoustic (2005) Havoc and Bright Lights (2012)

as a session musician

Year Title Artist 2026 Instrucciones Arde Bogotá 2025 No Rain, No Flowers The Black Keys 2024 Venus Zara Larsson 2020 A Celebration of Endings Biffy Clyro 2020 Always Tomorrow Best Coast 2020 The Family Songbook The Haden Triplets 2020 Through a Dark Wood Sea Wolf 2019 Thanks for the Dance Leonard Cohen 2019 Norman Fucking Rockwell! Lana Del Rey 2019 California Son Morrissey 2019 Heroin and Helicopters Citizen Cope 2019 Love Remains Tal Wilkenfeld 2018 The Pains of Growing Alessia Cara 2018 Bay Dream Culture Abuse 2018 Castles Lissie 2018 Safe Harbor for Wayward Echoes Tobias the Owl 2017 Flicker Niall Horan 2017 Lust for Life Lana Del Rey 2017 We're All Alright! Cheap Trick 2017 Dua Lipa Dua Lipa 2017 Safe Haven Ruth B 2017 No Date Daye Jack 2016 "Awaken, My Love!" Childish Gambino 2016 You Want It Darker Leonard Cohen 2016 Ziggy Marley Ziggy Marley 2016 Bang, Zoom, Crazy... Hello Cheap Trick 2015 Global Underground 041: Naples James Lavelle 2015 What's Inside: Songs from Waitress Sara Bareilles 2015 Cheers to the Fall Andra Day 2015 Eyes Wide Open Sabrina Carpenter 2015 All American Boy Steve Grand 2015 I'll Be Me Glen Campbell 2015 Sisters of Perpetual Heartache Sisters of Perpetual Heartache 2012 Paradise Lana Del Rey