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Special Delivery: The Postal Service Story

The Postal Service was a band for a generation — the soundtrack to romance, tears and friendship. More than a million people bought its first album, 2003's Give Up, then waited anxiously for a follow-up that never arrived.

Now, a decade later, comes a new tour. Theaters, amphitheaters, sports arenas, auditoriums and pavilions all over the U.S. and U.K. are selling out shows featuring the duo of Dntel's Jimmy Tamborello and Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard.

In this video, put together by Sub Pop Records and directed by Tom Scharpling, Tamborello and Gibbard tell the story of a casual collaboration — assembled via the U.S. Mail — that's still touching hearts 10 years later.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

In 1988, a determined Bob Boilen started showing up on NPR's doorstep every day, looking for a way to contribute his skills in music and broadcasting to the network. His persistence paid off, and within a few weeks he was hired, on a temporary basis, to work for All Things Considered. Less than a year later, Boilen was directing the show and continued to do so for the next 18 years.