Behind the Band: The Black Keys

The Black Keys are a rock band established in 2001, Ohio. The group comprises Dan Auerbach (guitarist and vocalist) and Patrick Carney (drummer). They began recording in basements and self-producing their records to several record labels. But with their sheer talent, they were quickly noticed. 

Auerbach and Carney were neighbors living less than a few houses away from one another. They had known each other through middle and high school, even though they hung around different crowds. Auerbach was extraordinarily athletic and, I imagine, quite social while Carney was an outcast. Since they were nine, they had been trading baseball cards and playing ball, but they never really hung out more than the normal neighborhood boys. 

Both came from musical backgrounds and found a deep interest in it. Auerbach is a cousin to Robert Quine, a guitarist. And Carney’s uncle is saxophonist Ralph Carney. 

They had been pushed together by their brothers, who were good friends themselves. Auerbach was mostly thrilled to hear that Carney had a four-track recorder and a drum set since he had wanted to record with his band. And about once a month, they would play together; it was always out of the random though they lived so close. 

Auerbach attended college for a short time though he felt that he was simply building endless debt, sitting in a crowded room hardly listening to what he was being told. He only went because it’s normalized; after high school, you go to college. It’s indenting into children’s minds that you must go. He usually skipped class to listen to music and play guitar. He later dropped out to play more gigs while Carney was working shitty jobs, barely paying minimum wage. 

Auerbach had been part of a cover band when he asked Carney to record a demo one day in his basement. He had realized he needed to play more gigs to make a living off of it. And to do that, he needed a demo. Auerbach called up a bunch of his bandmates, saying he had someone and someplace to record, but they never showed up. He and Carney decided they would mess around with whatever came to the top of their heads. 

Days later, Auerbach had the brilliant idea of sending out the demo to twelve – thirteen different record labels, hoping they would get lucky. The letter they had sent out slightly fibbed about how many shows they had played together. Correct answer: none. They were discovered by an indie label who was the only one who would give them an offer without actually seeing them play first. 

Carney’s parents were amazed when they first listened to it. Most of his other demos and recordings were quite rubbish. But this one was brilliant. Though, they were isolated from any music influences around them or some sort of community. They came out of nowhere, playing small gigs at first, not many people showed up. But after watching them play, they spread the word. They fell in love with them, slowly one by one. 

They began touring, and the shows only got larger and larger. One after another, they traveled in their van filled with equipment, Redbull cans, and cigarette buds. 

Since then, they’ve sold 1.5 million copies worldwide. They were certified double-platinum in Canada, platinum in the US, and gold in the UK. The Black Keys were amongst various artist judges at the 9th annual Independent Music Awards to assist independent artists’ careers. They went from neighborhood boys who sometimes played together to a fantastic two-man band.