It's been seven years since Bad Books released their sophomore album, II. In that time, the band's founders — Manchester Orchestra's Andy Hull and singer-songwriter Kevin Devine — both became fathers and found their schedules not syncing up as they focused on their main gigs.
But they eventually found time to sit down and write III, which is slated to come out on June 14.
"It's funny that it's been seven years, because it doesn't feel like that," Hull told The Fader in a recent interview. "We've still been a big part of each others' lives and creative journeys and processes together. When we're working on albums, there [are] a lot of conversations. We're both talking each other off the ledge when we’re in the middle of our own projects."
Hull's Manchester Orchestra bandmate and brother-in-law, guitarist Robert McDowell, is also now part of Bad Books. "The Bad Books process was built on a friendship first," he explained. "You're precious with it, but you're not as precious as you would be with a Manchester Orchestra song. You allow it to go places based on someone else's thoughts."
Before the album's release next week, the trio shared a Hull-helmed song, "UFO," which you can listen to below.