Each a long-time fan of the other's work, Brian Burton (aka Danger Mouse) and James Mercer (of the Shins) first met face-to-face backstage at the 2004 Roskilde Festival in Copenhagen.

The pair immediately hit it off and kept in touch over the prevailing half decade and in May 2008 seized the opportunity to finally collaborate on original music together.  Once in the studio, the musical floodgates opened, an intuitive ease and seemingly ego-less telepathy producing an astonishing flow of new material over the course of a year.  From more than 20 pieces of new music written and recorded, Broken Bells was assembled from 10 songs that coalesced together the most seamlessly.