Each nice rock ‘n roll story goes via excessive highs and lows. For each platinum album or Grammy night time sweep, disappointment and catastrophe typically awaits proper across the nook. The Black Keys skilled a yr like that in 2024, with a whole U.S. tour cancelled and an album it was meant to advertise, Ohio Gamers, dropping momentum because of this.
Even so, Black Keys drummer Patrick Carney tends to favor it when issues aren’t going too effectively.
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“When issues have been going actually, very well for us, it was the toughest time, and I believe that’s usually so for bands,” says Carney. “Once you’re flying excessive, the stress’s excessive, egos are excessive – it’s a harmful time. However each band I’ve preferred for probably the most half, most of their careers have been a wrestle, whether or not it’s the Velvet Underground or the Stooges or whoever. Finally, all that stands on the finish of time is the music, you realize?”
For the Black Keys, 2025 would be the yr this multiplatinum, Grammy-winning duo works to reclaim their place as fashionable creators of explosive rock and blues with a brand new album, No Rain, No Flowers, and worldwide tour. One other signal of their renewed function is at this time’s launch of the one “Babygirl” on Straightforward Eye Sound/Warner Data.
The observe is bristling, hook-filled and romantic rock, with dramatic piano melodies from acclaimed producer Scott Storch, recognized for his data with an extended listing of hitmakers, from Beyoncé and Justin Timberlake to Dr. Dre and the Roots. And singer-guitarist Dan Auerbach purrs the breathless opening lyrics: “Babygirl, you got here alongside and then you definitely opened my eyes/Babygirl, you make me stronger than I notice.”
The tune was co-written by the band with Storch and Daniel Tashian, recognized for his work with Kacey Musgraves, co-writing and co-producing her 2018 Grammy-winning album Golden Hour. On the observe, Storch performs on piano and Moog bass.
“He’d at all times been type of a hero of ours,” says Auerbach. “We used to [obsessively watch] his movies on YouTube enjoying all his elements from his productions on piano. He confirmed up and he was so excited to be within the studio as a result of it’s crammed with keyboards right here. He stated he’d by no means actually recorded with actual devices earlier than—like harpsichords, vibes, tack pianos and stuff. So he was like a child in a sweet store. We hit it off, man, and we had a variety of enjoyable.”
Longtime musical companions Auerbach and Carney, who shaped the Black Keys in 2001 in Akron, Ohio, are on the telephone from the guitarist’s Straightforward Eye Sound studio and label in Nashville. The duo is within the late levels of finishing the album, aiming for a ultimate 12 songs.
“We labored actually arduous on this album, perhaps much more so than we did on Ohio Gamers,” says Carney. “I believe it’s consultant of every kind of stuff that we’re into. It’s a enjoyable pay attention.”
The brand new single follows the discharge of “The Night time Earlier than,” a groove-based rock tune and the primary clue that the Black Keys had been working up a brand new album of songs. It was additionally co-written with Tashian, who Carney first met after shifting to Nashville 15 years in the past at a celebration with Concord Korine and David Berman, of the Silver Jews. The album’s first single emerged as Carney, Auerbach and Tashian performed drums, guitar and bass in a circle at Straightforward Eye.
“It got here collectively so rapidly that we neglected it,” says Auerbach. “After we have been enjoying the songs we had for folks, it was the final one we performed to the document label. As quickly as we performed it, everybody unanimously stated that ought to be the primary single.”
The brand new music quantities to some optimistic fallout surrounding the discharge of Ohio Gamers and the canceled tour. Whereas that disaster led to the firing of the band’s administration workforce, together with trade icon Irving Azoff, it additionally impressed a have to create once more.
“We put a variety of time into the album, after which it got here out and a few bullshit occurred and we needed to pivot,” says Carney. “So we pivoted to the place we really feel most snug, which is again within the studio—make extra music and simply do it once more.”
Auerbach provides, “Finally, the explanation why now we have new music is as a result of we weren’t in a position to tour. The tour getting canceled positively fired our creativity up. It was our strategy to get via that.”
The title of No Rain, No Flowers is a sign of the duo’s frame of mind, taking cost following a bumpy yr. And it comes a lot faster than most followers may need anticipated, however the Keys see the discharge schedule as a return to their DIY roots, which started by recording their uncooked 2002 debut The Large Come Up in Auerbach’s basement. Carney insists the band has at all times sought to retain that very same hands-on strategy ever since. Solely extra so now.
“Music is designed to be made and launched rapidly. I don’t suppose it advantages from sitting on shit for like Chinese language Democracy-level. Nobody’s ever benefited from taking three years to make a fucking album,” Carney says with amusing. “After we first began, we have been making a document a yr. That’s how typically a wholesome band ought to be placing out data.”
The Black Keys start their first correct U.S. tour in three years, buying and selling the arenas that have been deliberate for final yr’s aborted tour for amphitheaters and theaters, which occur to be a number of the finest areas for music within the U.S. (Pink Rocks close to Denver, and L.A.’s Greek Theatre). The No Rain, No Flowers Tour begins Could twenty third in Oklahoma.
“The actual fact we didn’t get to tour final yr, we hated it,” says Carney. “It sucks for us, sucks for the followers. Additionally, the circumstances have been bullshit. However on the finish of the day, we did get to make one other album. And it’s one thing that we’re happy with, and that can be a doc that can exist lengthy after we’re gone.”
Apart from the tour, Auerbach and Carney proceed to host their frequent “Report Hangs,” the place the musicians get right into a small membership and spin their favourite pop, soul and rock data from the Sixties, Seventies and past. They’ve taken these all-vinyl nights to completely different cities world wide, however are at present spinning near house in Nashville. Their subsequent two month-to-month Report Hangs are March 22 and April 19 at Flamingo Cocktail Membership.
The DJ units embrace a spontaneous playlist that mixes traditional hits from the previous with the gorgeously obscure, from Al Inexperienced and Sam Cooke to the Hombres and Devo’s twitchy model of the Rolling Stones’ “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.” The occasions unfold in intimate settings, with the turntables very near the followers dancing throughout them, a a lot completely different scene than the large rooms the Black Keys usually carry out in.
“It’s all about loving music and discovering data and dancing,” Auerbach explains. “It’s type of why we began enjoying music within the first place. It’s actually superb to have the ability to share that with followers. It’s been very nice. We’ve met some nice folks.”
There may be additionally an actual connection between these previous 45s and the music they’re making now.
“We’re studying so much from spinning data, and seeing the viewers response, feeling it,” says Auerbach. “You possibly can really feel it once you spin the document. immediately, when you begin enjoying it within the room, if it’s working or not. And it’s simply been very attention-grabbing. And never all songs that we document need to be like Report Cling songs. We nonetheless like album tracks, too.”
Carney provides, “I do suppose it’s attention-grabbing once you’re enjoying a tune in entrance of a room full of individuals, if there’s any type of waste of time in that tune, it turns into one thing you won’t play once more. That involves thoughts once we’re working [on Black Keys songs].”
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