With six studio albums and almost 20 years under their belt, longstanding Americana triumvirate The Devil Makes Three (TDM3) continues to write, tour, and play as hard as ever they have.
Consisting of frontman and main songwriter Pete Bernhard on lead vocals and acoustic guitar, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Cooper McBean on acoustic guitar, banjo and harmony vocals, and welcoming stand-up bassist and harmony vocalist MorganEve Swain (Brown Bird, The Huntress and Holder of Hands), TDM3 is known for dark, literary music rooted in the troubadour traditions of wandering folk, Delta blues, whiskey-soaked ragtime, and reckless rock ‘n’ roll.
The band’s journey could be deemed worthy of a novel. Their self-titled 2002 debut brought early success, yielding the now-classic “Old Number Seven,” “Graveyard,” “The Plank,” and more as the band organically attracted a die-hard following through constant touring, frenetic live shows, and subsequent hit albums.
Each critically-acclaimed and beloved by fans, these releases include Longjohns, Boots and a Belt (2004), Do Wrong Right (2009) and 2014’s I’m a Stranger Here, which marked the band’s first appearance on the Billboard Top 200. TDM3’s 2016 covers album, Redemption & Ruin gained the group their second #1 bow and fourth consecutive top-five debut on the Billboard Top Bluegrass Albums Chart. This pivotal album also garnered widespread acclaim from the likes of Entertainment Weekly, American Songwriter, The Boston Globe and more.
The Devil Makes Three’s 2018 release, Chains Are Broken, is considered the trio’s most sophisticated effort to date, exhibiting a willingness to “push beyond [their] somewhat cult audience” (American Songwriter). Chains Are Broken continues to resonate with fans thanks to Pete Bernhard’s mature, provocative lyrics and vocals and guitar/banjo aficionado Cooper McBean’s signature style.
Over the years, TDM3 has cast an unbreakable spell on audiences everywhere from Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo, to Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, Hangout Fest, and Shaky Knees. They are currently writing a new album of original material, scheduled to be released in the latter half of 2021.
