Bad Books (Andy Hull + Kevin Devine)

DOWNLOAD: Bad Books – “You Wouldn’t Have To Ask”

Bad Books is the side project of Kevin Devine and Manchester Orchestra's Andy Hull. The two emotionally passionate musicians have performed, toured, and collaborated together before, but this time they team up for a full album release and short tour. The self-titled album will be released on October 19th through Favorite Gentlemen Recordings. Grab a free download of the band's first single above and also stream a new song called "Please Move" here. 

As songwriters go, Hull and Devine could not be further apart in terms of creative approach. The methodical wordsmith Devine, an English major from Fordham, is known to pine away for great lengths of time just to accurately pin-point one word within a lyric. “I was doing a take of ‘You’re A Mirror I Cannot Avoid’ and stopped myself for fifteen minutes because I was having trouble justifying ending two lines in the same chorus with the word ‘back.’ Just sitting there, staring at the screen, writing different word choices. I asked Andy if he thought it mattered, and he said, ‘Of course it doesn’t.’ Somewhere in that exchange is I think what differentiates us as songwriters. I think Andy trusts his instincts to lead him to the right place in a song, and sometimes I want to outthink my instincts because I’m scared of repeating myself, of resting on my laurels. And I think together, those two approaches meshed really, really well,” Devine said.

Hull echoes that sentiment: “Kevin is very meticulous, where I came in with a few ideas and fleshed them out literally as we were recording. Kevin’s songs were awesome and he was cool enough for me to throw in some ideas to change a part or add a bridge here or there.”

In contrast to previous outputs from Manchester Orchestra and Devine, Bad Books cradles a much more noticeable pop aesthetic and energy than either artist has probably ever showcased before. Nowhere is this more evident than in songs like “You Wouldn’t Have To Ask” and “Holding Down the Laughter”.

See below for tour dates, including one in NYC!

In October Bad Books has four shows, including one at Bowery Ballroom as part of the CMJ Music Marathon. Also performing is Right Away, Great Captain!, Gobotron, and Hardy Morris. Tickets are on-sale this Thursday, Aug. 28th at Noon. More info available here.

Bad Books Tour Dates:

10.20.10 – Bowery Ballroom – New York, NY
10.22.10 – T.T. The Bear’s Place – Cambridge, MA
10.23.10 – The North Star Bar – Philadelphia, PA
10.24.10 – The Ottobar – Baltimore, MD