The Devil Makes Three return with Spirits today via New West Records. The 13-song set was produced by Ted Hutt (Dropkick Murphys, Old Crow Medicine Show) and recorded at Dreamland Recording Studios in Hurley, NY. Spirits is the Devil Makes Three’s first album in 7 years and follows 2018’s Chains Are Broken. Met with critical acclaim, Glide Magazine described the band “like Johnny Cash fronting The Cramps” and No Depression said “The Devil Makes Three perseveres through hard times on Spirits,” and “its brawn comes in the form of lyrical conviction and heartfelt delivery.”
The album marks a return to the band’s stripped-back roots while delving into deeper, more personal themes of grief, mortality, and personal reflection. “There’s a theme of ghosts and death running through this album,” acknowledges frontman Pete Bernhard, who lost his mother, brother, and closest childhood friend while making 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.”
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 launched the sold out West Coast portion of their US tour in support of the album last night and the trek will feature stops at the Fillmore in San Francisco, the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn, First Avenue in Minneapolis, and more. The US Coast run scheduled for May/ June is also set to sell out ahead of time. The band also announced a 20+ date European Tour that will launch on June 15th, 2025 in Dublin, Ireland. Please see tour dates, with more to be announced, below.
The Devil Makes Three has always thrived in the spaces between genres, where the grit of folk, the soul of blues, and the rebellious spirit and frenetic 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), has continued to evolve musically while staying rooted in their core sound. Bernhard says “When we first started the band in Santa Cruz, there was a folk scene, but also a progressive jam following, and 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 place where tales of hardship are met with wry humor, where the 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 is available across digital platforms, compact disc, and standard black vinyl. A limited, signed compact disc and limited purple color vinyl edition autographed by The Devil Makes Three is available via Independent Retailers. A limited compact disc as well as a limited-to-500 clear blue color vinyl edition both autographed by The Devil Makes Three are available NOW via NEW WEST RECORDS.
Spirits 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 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
