The Devil Makes Three returns with Spirits on February 28, 2025, via New West Records. The 13-song set, produced by Ted Hutt (Dropkick Murphys, Old Crow Medicine Show), was recorded at Dreamland Recording Studios in Hurley, NY. Spirits marks The Devil Makes Three’s first album in seven years, following 2018’s acclaimed Chains Are Broken.
The album signifies a return to the band’s stripped-back roots while exploring deeper, more personal themes of grief, mortality, and self-reflection. “There’s a theme of ghosts and death running through this album,” acknowledges frontman and principal songwriter Pete Bernhard, who lost his mother, brother, and closest childhood friend while creating the record. Bernhard adds, “The world’s in a strange place right now. A lot of the songs on this record come from that place—trying to make sense of it all, whether it’s dealing with loss, addiction, or the way people are more divided than ever. But at the end of the day, this band has always been about celebrating resilience. We’ve always found a way to push through and wanted to reflect that in this album.”
Today, American Songwriter premiered the album standout “I Love Doing Drugs,” a song that captures the wild highs of substance use—until the fun fades. Written about six months before The Devil Makes Three’s Cooper McBean got sober, the song reflects on the reckless joy of those moments while finding humor in the fact that he made it through. It’s a candid, tongue-in-cheek take on experiences that could’ve ended differently. McBean shares, “I didn't really even clock the fact that this is kind of a dark song until our producer, Ted Hutt, pointed it out to me. And as it turns out, that's kind of how addiction was for me—just careening through life, thinking it’s funny and cute and no big deal, until I finally realized that things had actually been pretty grim for a long time. It's also sort of a fond farewell to substance abuse: ‘Dear drugs and alcohol, it’s been real. We had some good times, no hard feelings, but this ain’t working for me anymore, and I gotta go.’”
The Devil Makes Three previously shared the album’s title track as well. Bernhard explained, “‘Spirits’ is a song of grief and loss. In the span of four years, I lost my mother, brother, and childhood friend to illness, a car accident, and a heart attack. There were so many simultaneous memories of lost family and friends all at once. This song celebrates them and is an attempt to keep talking to the people we’ve lost. The spirits are with us.”
For over two decades, The Devil Makes Three has delivered high-energy performances that pull audiences into a rollicking, unrelenting groove, leaving them captivated and wanting more. The band has announced a 20+ date European tour in support of the album, launching on June 15, 2025, in Dublin, Ireland. This extensive trek follows the first leg of their North American tour, which includes stops at The Fillmore in San Francisco, the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn, First Avenue in Minneapolis, and more. Additional dates will be announced soon.
The Devil Makes Three has always thrived in the spaces between genres, where the grit of folk, the soul of blues, and the rebellious energy of punk collide. Formed in 2002 in Santa Cruz, California, by Bernhard and Cooper McBean, the trio—now featuring longtime collaborator MorganEve Swain (taking over on upright bass and vocals from Lucia Turino)—continues to evolve musically while staying rooted in their core sound. Bernhard reflects, “When we first started the band in Santa Cruz, there was a folk scene, but also a progressive jam following. That’s what we wanted to do—play traditional folk music with an aggressively punk approach.”
Driven by the personal losses that fueled the new album, the band has emerged with renewed clarity and purpose. Their music remains a space where tales of hardship are met with wry humor, where bad news is often packaged in an upbeat rhythm, and where every show feels like a gathering of kindred spirits ready to dance away the troubles of the day.
Spirits will be available across digital platforms, on compact disc, and in standard black vinyl. An extremely limited edition of brick-red vinyl (limited to 100 copies) will be available via Heady Wax Fiends, while a signed compact disc and limited purple vinyl edition autographed by The Devil Makes Three will be available through Independent Retailers. Additionally, a signed compact disc and a clear blue vinyl edition (limited to 500 copies) are available for pre-order now via New West Records.
Track Listing:
1. Lights on Me
2. Spirits
3. Ghosts are Weak
4. Half as High
5. Hard Times
6. The Devil Wins
7. The Dark Gets the Best of You
8. Fallen Champions
9. The Gift
10. Divide and Conquer
11. I Love Doing Drugs
12. Poison Well
13. Holding On
The Devil Makes Three On Tour:
February 27, 2025 - Commodore Ballroom - Vancouver, BC
February 28, 2025 - The Showbox @ The Market - Seattle, WA
March 1.2025 - McMenamins Crystal Ballroom - Portland, OR
March 2, 2025 - McDonald Theatre - Eugene, OR
March 4, 2025 - Ace Of Spades - Sacramento, CA
March 5, 2025 - The Fillmore - San Francisco, CA
March 7,2025 - The Observatory North Park - San Diego, CA
March 8, 2025 - The Regent Theatre - Los Angeles, CA
May 8, 2025 - Music Hall of Williamsburg - Brooklyn, NY
May 9,2025 - Brooklyn Bowl Philly - Philadelphia, PA
May 10, 2025 - Paradise Rock Club - Boston, MA
May 11, 2025 - 9:30 Club - Washington, D.C
May 13,2025 - House of Blues - Cleveland, OH
May 14, 2025 - Saint Andrew's Hall - Chicago, IL
May 15,2025 - Metro - Detroit, MI
May 17, 2025 - First Avenue - Minneapolis, MN
June 15, 2025 - Dublin, Ireland - Whelan's
June 18, 2025 - Liverpool, UK - Arts Club
June 19, 2025 - Bristol, UK - Trinity
June 20, 2025 - London, UK Islington - Assembly Hall
June 21, 2025 - Manchester, UK - Gorilla
June 22, 2025 - Glasgow, UK - Oran Mor
June 23, 2025 - Edinburgh, UK - Liquid Rooms
June 25, 2025 - Newcastle, UK - Boiler Shop
June 26, 2025 - Leeds, UK - Brudenell Social Club
June 27, 2025 - Nottingham, UK - Rescue Rooms
July 1, 2025 - Nijmegen, NL - Doornroosje
July 2, 2025 - Cologne, DE - Gebäude 9
July 3, 2025 - Amsterdam, NL - Melkweg
July 4, 2025 - Rotterdam, NL - Rotterdam Bluegrass Festival
July 5, 2025 - Hamburg, DE - LOGO
July 6, 2025 - Berlin, DE - Hole44
July 9, 2025 - Leipzig, DE - Naumanns
July 10, 2025 - Munich, DE - Backstage
July 11, 2025 - Frankfurt, DE - Nachtleben
July 12, 2025 - Gierle, BE - Sjock Festival
