Ohio blues duo The Black Keys have spoken about their music background, claiming it emphasised passion over technique.
The Black Keys are an anomaly, a group out of time. Their stripped down take on the blues runs against indie trends, producing something timeless but - in the right hands - forward facing.
On their new album 'Brothers' the band expand still further. Adding new instruments, The Black Keys were produced by long time friend and collaboration Danger Mouse on recent single 'Tighten Up'.
Speaking to ClashMusic, singer Dan Auerbach revealed that his musical upbringing emphasised passion over technique. The frontman explained that his family sang bluegrass songs as a means of passing the time.
“Growing up in an environment where it is all bluegrass songs and gospel songs doesn’t allow you to sing in a phoney voice you know? Music is in my family; it’s something I learnt to do when I was a little kid,” Dan Auerbach asserts.
“I was surrounded by people who sang passionately. You have to be natural to be able to sing that kind of music in a real way. You can’t just come at it from an ‘Idol’ kind of way -that won't cut it - you will be told to leave the building.”
Parts of the new album were recorded in legendary Alabama soundshack Muscle Shoals studio. However the iconic studio failed to make the impression The Black Keys expected, according to Dan Auerbach.
“We walked through the door and were pretty excited,” he explains. “But after a couple of days we realised that the studio wasn’t anything like it used to be -all the installations which gave the records their sound had been torn out. I think Pat and I found out that we can do this thing we do anywhere; it doesn’t matter where the fuck we are.”
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