Sea Lemon goes on tour with Death Cab for Cutie, a band influential to the sound of Seattle’s Natalie Lew

Fresh off the release of her debut album, Sea Lemon is ready to enthrall Spokane under the U.S. Pavilion lights before Death Cab for Cutie takes the stage.

Sea Lemon is the dreampop solo project of Seattle-based musician Natalie Lew.

After putting out two EPs and various singles over the last four years, Lew’s long-awaited debut album “Diving for a Prize” was released in late spring.

Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Lew has channeled Seattle’s lush backdrop to meticulously craft her talents ever since picking up an electric guitar in 2019. With the help of producer Andy D. Park (who has worked with artists such as Chance the Rapper and Neon Trees), Lew has put together a shimmering debut that she called a “labor of love.”

Under a veneer of dreamy sounds and lulling melodies, Lew’s introspective, and sometimes cynical, lyrism invites audiences to embrace life’s uncertainties.

“I think as a whole, the album is sort of about curiosity and obsession,” she said. “And there are like short stories within the album, whether that like told from my perspective or fictional.”

In the 12 tracks on the album, Lew weaves these short stories seamlessly into her gauzy tunes, bringing her sincerity to the forefront.

A track that captures this, which happens to be one of Lew’s favorites at the moment (a ranking that is constantly changing), is the sixth track, “Blue Moon.”

Paired with Lew’s eerie vocals, the verses: “Of old mistakes drowned out. I don’t mind if it’s all a game” lingers mid-air long after the track’s outro.

“It was kind of about like having things be out of your control and making peace with that and having to be kind of uncomfortable,” she said.

Although the album presents themes that can be taken as melancholic, Lew wants her music to be viewed through a lighthearted lens.

“I wanted to make music that felt authentic to me but also felt like fun and playful and not taken extremely seriously,” she said.

This balance of authenticity and glee that Lew emanates, whether that’s on stage or streaming, is what has floated her to the surface in the indie music scene, headlining shows in New York and Los Angeles, and recently, performing on w SiriusXMU.

Along with charming audiences, she has captured the attention of more mainstream artists, giving her the opportunity to open for bands like American Football, and of course, Bellingham’s own Death Cab for Cutie.

After going to more than 10 of their shows growing up in Seattle, Lew is struggling to grasp that she’s going on tour with the band that played such an integral part in her creative evolution.

“I listened to them when I was a kid and I love their music and they definitely have influenced the way that I think about writing music,” she said. “And honestly, selfishly, I’m so excited to go on tour with them so I can just watch them perform and go to the shows.”

For many alternative artists fighting to have their moment in the sun through the gloom of countless obscure indie acts in the Emerald City, Death Cab for Cutie’s success is often seen as the pinnacle of what can be.

Now nearly four years since Death Cab for Cutie has crossed the Cascades to perform in Spokane, Sea Lemon prepares to make their grandeur entrance in the Lilac City for Riverfront Park Pavilion’s sole July show on Wednesday.

But it wouldn’t be the first time she crossed paths with the seasoned band.

In fact, Benjamin Gibbard, lead vocalist and guitarist for Death Cab for Cutie, was featured on Lew’s track, “Crystals,” which was released as a single in September.

Lew described her experience working with Gibbard on the track as enlightening, a tad daunting, but most of all, surreal.

“You know, I’m taking like 15-20 passes to make sure the vocal tone is right. Make sure it’s emotional enough or emphatic enough or I’m pronouncing the words right,” she said with a laugh. “He basically takes a spin at it twice and it sounds perfect and that was extremely impressive and inspiring to just see somebody so in their element.”

For an album that hovers with reverb, Gibbard provides a welcoming contrast in his grounded verse.

Despite being in different places in their careers, it wasn’t hard for the pair to see eye to eye on the track. Gibbard immediately connected to it and put his stamp on it, Lew said.

Perhaps Gibbard will walk out on the Pavilion’s stage earlier than expected to join Lew and her backing band in performing the track and give fans a taste of that magic captured in Park’s studio that day.

And as the crowd disperses after Death Cab plays their last song, maybe Lew will have another side of the state to rally behind her, regardless of the direction she decides to go in next.

But admittedly, she is in no rush.

“I think for this album I feel like it kind of tells its own story and I’m looking forward to having the time and space to figure out what our next project would look like,” she said.