Shins frotman James Mercer and Danger Mouse have formed the new band Broken Bells. The group will release its first studio album on March 9, 2010. The self-titled album is the first product for the “ongoing band Broken Bells.”

Broken Bells will feature ten songs written by the paired performers, including “The High Road,” “Vaporize,” “Your Head Is On Fire,” “The Ghost Inside,” “Sailing to Nowhere,” “Trap Doors,” “Citizen” and “The Mall and Misery.” Mercer supplies vocals, guitars and bass while Burton plays organ, drums, piano, synths and bass. The pair play all the instruments on the album with the exception of a full string section arranged by Daniele Luppi. Broken Bells was recorded by Todd Monfalcone and Kennie Takahashi at Mondo Studio in Los Angeles and produced by Burton.

The musicians first met face-to-face backstage at the 2004 Roskilde Festival in Copenhagen. Work on the album started in May of 2008. The paired performers also collaborated on the song “Insane Lullaby” on the Dark Night of the Soul multi-artist collaboration with David Lynch.