The Devil Makes Three Return with “Chains Are Broken” August 24th – Billboard Premieres “Bad Idea” Video

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Photo By Jay Westcott

The Devil Makes Three are set to return with Chains Are Broken on August 24th via New West Records. The 11-song set was produced by Ted Hutt (Gaslight Anthem, Flogging Molly) and recorded at Sonic Ranch Studios in El Paso, TX.  Chains Are Broken is The Devil Makes Three’s first album of original material since 2013’s I’m A Stranger Here, which debuted on the Billboard Top 200. The new album follows their acclaimed 2016 collection of covers, Redemption & Ruin, which heralded the groups second #1 bow on the Billboard Top Bluegrass Albums Chart. Instead of their traditional revolving cast of collaborators in the studio, The Devil Makes Three stuck to its signature power trio of Pete Bernhard, Lucia Turino, and Cooper McBean – with one addition. This time, they invited touring drummer Stefan Amidon to power the bulk of the percussion and his presence remains most amplified as the band seamlessly translated the spirit of their must see live show into a studio recording. Billboard has premiered the video for the first single “Bad Idea,” which features the band’s recent headline performance at Red Rocks onMay 25th. Frontman Pete Bernhard told the publication, “I think we just finally figured out after all this time how to record as a band. We were like, ‘Ok, that’s how it sounds live,’ which was big for us because we’re such a live band. We wanted to capture something more, and I think when we left the studio we were like, ‘God, we did it,’ which felt great.” Bernhard continued, “We’re always trying to be a rock band. Our approach to string band music has always been sort of punk rock; We’re playing string band music, but not in the traditional way.” See the “Bad Idea” video  HERE.

Rolling Stone Country previously premiered the first music from Chains Are Broken,” stating “‘Paint My Face’ reflects the extra rock & roll edge that Amidon, the band’s touring drummer, brings to the equation, as the song is a crunch shuffle with a quivering, cascading electric guitar line.” They continued, “Despite its somewhat sinister tone, ‘Paint My Face’ is as much a song about rebirth, both spiritual and creative, as it is about death. Hear it HERE.

The Devil Makes Three have also announced the initial Chains Are Broken tour dates.  After a month long European run of performances, the band will launch their U.S. Tour in support of the album on October 24th in Flagstaff, AZ (Please see all dates below). Chains Are Broken will be available on compact disc, across digital retailers, standard black vinyl, as well as a limited edition cream & navy blue split colored vinyl LP available at Independent Retailers.  Chains Are Broken is available for pre-order now via New West Records.

For as much as The Devil Makes Three remain rooted in troubadour traditions of wandering folk, Delta blues, whiskey-soaked ragtime, and reckless rock ‘n’ roll, the band nods to the revolutionary unrest of author James Baldwin, the no-holds barred disillusionment of Ernest Hemingway, and Southern Gothic malaise of Flannery O’Connor. In that respect, Chains Are Broken resembles a dusty leather bound book of short stories from some bygone era. “I always want our songs to unfold like short stories,” affirms Bernhard. “You could think of them as chapters of a book. This was a much more personal album about what it takes to be a writer of any kind – and what you have to do to make your dream possible. It was really the headspace I was in.  It might have something to do with getting older. You start reflecting on life and the people around you.  I was doing that in these songs. That’s what makes the record more personal. I’m pulling from these things. Some of it is about drug addiction. Some of it is about the things you sacrifice. Some of it is about the detrimental things we do for inspiration.  Nevertheless, they all have some sort of narrative.”

August 8th – Boulder, CO Fox Theater (Triple A Conference)
September 10th – Nottingham, UK Rock City – Basement
September 11th – Glasgow, Scotland Oran Mor
September 12th – Manchester, UK Deaf Institute
September 13th – Birmingham, UK Hare & Hounds
September 14th – London, UK Islington Assembly Hall
September 16th – Leffinge, Belgium Leffingeleuren Festival
September 17th – Cologne, Germany Luxor
September 18th – Hamburg, Germany Knust
September 19th – Berlin, Germany Columbia Theater
September 21st – Zurich, Switzerland Mascotte
September 22nd – Amsterdam, Netherlands Melkweg
September 23rd – Groningen, Netherlands De Oosterpoort
October 24th – Flagstaff, AZ Orpheum Theater
October 25th – San Diego, CA House of Blues
October 26th – San Luis Obispo, CA Alex Madonna Expo Center
October 27th – Oakland, CA Fox Theater
October 28th – Chico, CA Senator Theatre
October 31st – Eugene, OR McDonald Theatre
November 1st – Sacramento, CA Ace of Spades
November 2nd – Sacramento, CA Ace of Spades
November 3rd – Los Angeles, CA The Wiltern
November 4th – Stateline, NV Montbleu Resort Casino
November 7th – Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom
November 8th – Seattle, WA Showbox SoDO
November 9th – Portland, OR Crystal Ballroom
November 10th – Portland, OR Crystal Ballroom
November 11th – Spokane, WA Knitting Factory Concert House
November 14th – Bozeman, MT Rialto Theatre
November 15th – Billings, MT The Pub Station
November 16th – Missoula, MT The Wilma
November 17th – Boise, ID Knitting Factory Concert House

www.TheDevilMakesThree.com