* En anglais uniquement
Bad Books combines the singing and songwriting talents of
Manchester Orchestra's
Andy Hull and solo artist
Kevin Devine. Alternating reflective indie rock and anxious power pop, both with crisp vocal harmonies, the project's self-titled debut appeared in 2010. Following a hiatus, the band's third album, 2019's
III, traded their rhythm section for an organ and a more cinematic sound.
After serving as opening acts on
Brand New's 2007 tour,
Hull and
Devine began working together in spurts. They released a split EP in January 2010 shortly before launching the collaborative
Bad Books. Also featuring bassist
Jonathan Corley, drummer Ben Homola, and
Manchester Orchestra's
Chris Freeman, their debut album, Bad Books, arrived later in 2010 via Favorite Gentlemen and Razor & Tie. It landed on the Billboard 200, reaching number 55. With additional help from another
Manchester Orchestra member, Robert McDowell,
Bad Books' second album,
II, was released by Favorite Gentlemen and Triple Crown Records in 2012. It included the song "Forest Whitaker," which made it onto an episode of the hit CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother.
Bad Books soon went on hiatus as
Devine released a pair of albums -- the solo effort
Bulldozer and full-band production Bubblegum -- on the same day in October of 2013, and
Manchester Orchestra issued the companion albums
Cope and
Hope (an acoustic reimagining) in 2014.
Devine put out two more full-lengths and
Manchester Orchestra released 2017's
A Black Mile to the Surface before
Bad Books reconvened for a third record. As the trio of
Hull,
Devine, and McDowell, they omitted drums and bass, opting for harmonic atmosphere on the
Ethan Gruska-produced
III. It arrived on Loma Vista in 2019. ~ Marcy Donelson