Hip hop producer Danger Mouse is set to team up with The Shins frontman James Mercer under the banner Broken Bells.
Danger Mouse likes to keep busy. In addition to his own productions the hip hop guru is also one half of chart bothering group Gnarls Barkley, best known for their history making hit ‘Crazy’.
As well as this, Danger Mouse has recently worked on albums with the likes of Black Keys, Gorillaz, The Good, The Bad and The Queen amongst others.
Now it seems that Danger Mouse is set to launch a new project with indie rock royalty The Shins. The producer will work with singer James Mercer under the name Broken Bells, with the pair launching a website together.
Mercer is currently cresting a wave of success. The Shins recently split from Sub Pop, but before they left the label delivered the massive hit album ‘Wincing The Night Away’.
Entering the US Billboard charts at number two the album was acclaimed by critics as The Shins’ finest to date. With the band now set to launch their own label – Aural Apothecary – it seems that James Mercer wants to launch a new group.
The two musicians have worked with each other before. Mercer was among the vast cast assembled for Danger Mouse’ ‘Dark Night Of The Soul’ project, lining up alongside Mark Linkous and Julian Casablancas, amongst others.
However that album was pulled by the record label due to problems in gaining clearances to use the artists on ‘Dark Night Of The Soul’.
Broken Bells are set to release their debut album in 2010. According to reports in the United States the pair are already crafting a follow up.
