Our new playlist of the best new Americana we’ve heard over the last month is out later today exclusively for AUK supporters which includes new tracks by Brown Horse, Kassi Valazza, Dawn Brothers, Mike Delevante, The Waterboys with Steve Earle and Joshua Burnside – as always we trawl through the best Americana we’ve heard recently so you don’t have to. And our giveaway this month is two tickets for one lucky supporter to see Santa Cruz California’s The Devil Makes Three who have returned with new album “Spirits” this year via New West Records and a European tour that will launch on June 15th, 2025 in Dublin, Ireland. The 13-song set was produced by Ted Hutt (Dropkick Murphys, Old Crow Medicine Show) and recorded at Dreamland Recording Studios in Hurley, NY. It’s the Devil Makes Three’s first album in 7 years and follows 2018’s acclaimed “Chains Are Broken.”
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 and principal songwriter 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.”
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 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.”
The Devil Makes Three On Tour:
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
You can become an AUK supporter for as little as £2 a month for which princely sum you will receive a monthly exclusive supporters playlist along with being entered into our monthly prize draw. Thanks for your support.
