Brian Burton and
James Mercer decided to work together after meeting at the
Roskilde Festival in 2004 and finding they were fans of each other's work. By March 2008, Mercer and Burton began recording together in secret at Burton's Los Angeles–based studio. The project was first announced on September 29, 2009. Burton and Mercer described their material as "melodic, but experimental, too". Prior to the formation of Broken Bells, Mercer and Burton worked together on the track "Insane Lullaby" on the album
Dark Night of the Soul by Danger Mouse and
Sparklehorse. Broken Bells have since performed the song several times, often as a tribute to the late
Mark Linkous, the
Sparklehorse frontman who died in early 2010. Broken Bells'
self-titled debut album was released in the United States and Canada on March 9, 2010 through
Columbia Records, and has sold over 400,000 copies domestically, peaking at number 7 on the
Billboard 200 chart. The album received positive reviews.
Rolling Stone magazine gave it a four-star review and stated that it was "the year’s coolest left field pop disc." In addition to having one of the year’s highest-charting debut albums, the band sold out shows on their first-ever tour. Broken Bells released an EP titled
Meyrin Fields on March 18, 2011. On February 14, 2012, in an interview with KINK.FM (a Portland, Oregon radio station), Mercer stated that he was currently working on Broken Bells' second album. On October 8, 2013, the band announced the release of its second album,
After the Disco. Broken Bells released their lead single from the album, titled "Holding on for Life", on November 4, 2013.
After the Disco was released on February 4, 2014. That same day the band covered "And I Love Her" alongside footage of Ringo Starr on an old television as part of the
Late Show With David Letterman's "Beatles Week" to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Beatles' debut appearance on
The Ed Sullivan Show. The band performed "Holding on for Life" on the March 7, 2014 episode of
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. On December 7, 2018, Broken Bells released "Shelter", their first single in three years. A follow-up single, "
Good Luck", was issued on September 27, 2019. "We're Not in Orbit Yet...", the first single from Broken Bells' third album,
Into the Blue, was released on June 29, 2022 after an eight-year hiatus. The band released another single, "Saturdays", on August 10, 2022. On September 21, the band released "Love on the Run", the third single from the album. ==Members==