Amoeba Music

Join us for a live set and signing with The Devil Makes Three on Wednesday, March 5th at 5pm at Amoeba SF! Purchase their latest album, Spirits (out on 2/28 via New West Records), at Amoeba SF and get it signed after their performance.

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 of punk collide. Their music doesn’t just follow the American storytelling tradition—it redefines it. Whether evoking the deep melancholy of Delta blues or the frenetic energy of punk, their sound is raw, powerful, and unmistakably their own. For over two decades, this genre-defying trio has carved out a place in the American roots scene, delivering high-energy performances that leave audiences captivated and wanting more. They've released seven studio albums and three live recordings, with their latest, Spirits, marking a return to their stripped-down roots.

Formed in 2002 in Santa Cruz, California by Pete Bernhard and Cooper McBean, the trio, now featuring longtime collaborator MorganEve Swain (taking over on upright bass and vocals for Lucia Turino), has continued to evolve musically while staying rooted in their core sound. The Devil Makes Three has built a devoted fanbase by embracing the raw, unpolished edge of acoustic music, and their latest album, Spirits, adds yet another layer to this ever-expanding sonic palette.

Produced by Grammy-winning producer Ted Hutt (Old Crow Medicine Show, Dropkick Murphys, The Gaslight Anthem, and Violent Femmes among others), Spirits marks a return to the band's stripped-back roots while delving into deeper, more personal themes. Recorded at Dreamland Studios, a converted church nestled in the woods of Woodstock, New York, the setting proved an apt metaphor for the record’s themes of grief, mortality, and personal reflection. Dark thunderstorms rolled in during the recording process, almost as if nature itself was responding to the material. The song titles alone reflect the ongoing struggle to survive amid the uncertainties of the current volatile climate. Tracks like “Lights on Me” and the title track “Spirits” address loss, grief, death, and reincarnation, inspired by Bernhard’s own experience of losing close friends and family members in recent years. The somber, introspective mood is tempered by their characteristic energy and rhythm that makes The Devil Makes Three a favorite on stage.

“There’s a theme of ghosts and death running through this album,” acknowledged Bernhard, who lost his mother, brother, and closest childhood friend while making the record. “It also has a good amount of political material, a reflection on how divided people are these days, just trying to find common ground. Not being able to perform our music live led to some deep reflections.”

Since their breakout self-titled album in 2002, the band has released seven studio albums and three live recordings. Their 2018 release, Chains Are Broken, saw the trio embrace a more electrified sound, but Spirits circles back to the band’s acoustic roots, putting the emphasis on storytelling and stripped-down instrumentation. “The world’s in a strange place right now,” Bernhard says. “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.”

Tracks like “Half as High” and “Divide and Conquer” weave commentary on America’s widening economic divide with a sense of personal resilience, urging listeners to push through life’s trials. The band’s ability to craft songs that speak to both the personal and political gives them a timeless quality, and as Spirits shows, they are unafraid to tackle the darker sides of life. It’s a balance between evolution and tradition that’s been the hallmark of The Devil Makes Three’s career.

Known for their live performances that pull the audience into a rollicking, unrelenting groove, The Devil Makes Three continues to blend Americana’s vast traditions with a punk spirit that refuses to be tamed. Spirits is a continuation of their deep commitment to storytelling. The Devil Makes Three has always woven together tales of the downtrodden and the resilient, and this latest album is no different. With influences ranging from Tom Waits to Riley Pucket, Willie Nelson and Robert Johnson, the band continues to be a torchbearer of the Great American Tradition of Storytelling. The beauty of the group is the way they take classic, traditional musical genres and, by putting their imprint on it, turn it into something that lives and breathes anew, passing the torch to a new generation.

The journey of The Devil Makes Three is a testament to the enduring power of music to bring people together, to heal, and to lift spirits—even when times are tough. With Spirits, the band proves once again that their unique sound and message are more relevant than ever.