Broken Bells

Broken Bells is a duo consisting of James Mercer (lead singer and guitarist for The Shins) and Brian Burton (better known as Danger Mouse, producer and member of Gnarls Barkley). The musicians met in 2004 at the Roskilde Festival in Denmark and began collaborating in 2008. Unveiled to the public the following year, the project combines pop melodies, psychedelic rock, and electronic elements.

The self-titled debut album, Broken Bells, was released in March 2010 and received critical acclaim. In March 2011, the duo released the EP Meyrin Fields. Their second album, After the Disco, was released in February 2014, expanding their sound with influences from disco, synth-pop, and new wave.

After a period dedicated to solo projects, the duo returned in 2018 with the single “Shelter” and in 2019 with “Good Luck.” Their third studio album, Into the Blue, was released on October 7, 2022, ending an eight-year hiatus without full-length albums. With influences from soul, psychedelia, and trip-hop, the album stood out as the duo’s first to incorporate samples into their own instrumental recordings. Among the standout tracks are “We’re Not in Orbit Yet…,” “Saturdays,” and “Love on the Run.”