2019-07-01_Uncut_UK

(singke) #1

JULY 2019 • UNCUT• 69


Elsewhere,a HeeHaw
pinballmachine,a fully
loadedsodamachinewith
softdrinksandwaterand
lotsofsnacksaretherefor
additionalentertainment
breaksbetweensessions.
It’seasytoseehowself-
containedthisplaceis;
a clubhousereally,and
arguablythereason
Auerbachdidn’tgotaround
tomakinga newBlackKeys
albumforfiveyears.
If nothingelse,EasyEye
Soundrepresentsthe
distanceAuerbachhas
travelledsinceheandCarney
formedTheBlackKeysin
theirnativeAkron,Ohio,in
2001 – frombasement-dwelling
purveyorsofprimalbluesto
becomingoneoftheworld’sbiggest
andbestbands.Notthatthey’ve
compromisedaninch.“We’ve
alwaysleftthingsrelatively
unadorned,sothisis warts’n’all
music,”notesAuerbach,“We’re
prettyblessedthatthingshave
workedoutthewaytheyhave.Ever
sincewe’vestarted,it’s never
stoppedbuilding.”
“Ittakesa lotofcouragetogo
onstagewithtwopeople,”says
EaglesguitaristJoeWalsh,a
fellowOhioanwhorecordedat
EasyEye.“Ona goodnight,
there’snothingbetterthana two-
pieceband.It’sfuckingamazing.On
a badnight,there’snothingworse.Butthethingabout
comingfromOhio,fromtheMidwest,is theideathat
weareallinthistogether.Wearefamily.That’sa
connectionDanandPat will never lose. It’ll get them
throughanything.”
ChuckAuerbachandJamesCarneylivedinthesame
neighbourhoodinAkron.Theirsons,DanandPatrick,
wereinthesameLittleLeagueBaseballteamas
children.Asidefromsport,theydiscoveredanother
sharedpassion:music.Coincidentally,bothhad
unclesworkingontheoutsiderfringesofrock:one
ofAuerbach’swasthelateRobertQuine,a former
memberoftheVoidoidswholaterworkedwithLou
Reed,whileCarney’suncleRalphCarneywasformanyyears
TomWaits’saxophonist.“Pat’sthefirstpersonwhotalked
aboutAkronasa musictown,”saysAuerbach.“Ididn’t
realise.I justlivedthere.RobertQuinedidn’tliveinAkron,
butPat’suncledid.SoPatwasveryinvestedinthe
neighbourhoodandthelocalscene,whileI was
driving 12 hourstoseeT-ModelFordinGreenville,
Mississippi.HewasobsessingaboutTin Huey
records,TheWaitressesandDevo.”
TheBlackKeys’earliestrecordingswere“just
thesoundofmeandPatanda four-trackinhis
basement”,saysAuerbach.“Thereareno
rehearsalspacesforbandsorwhateverin
Akron.If youwanttoplaya show,youhaveto
driveatleasttoCleveland,whichis 45minutes
away.TheDIYmentalityis ingrainedinyourbrain.
“Icouldneverdonowwhatwedid,”hereflects.
“Weusedtodriveninehourstogettoa gig,get
paid 30 dollars and then, because we couldn’t


affordtostayintown,drivetwohourstosomewhere
cheapoutsideofthecity.I mean,everyday.Weweren’t
abletopartyorhavea drinkaftera showreallyuntil
2008.Wewouldgetriders– butwhatwerewegoingto
do?WehadtodrivetotheMotel6.Patwasalwaysable
todrivelateatnight.Noproblem.I thinkwewere
awarethatbeingina bandwasgoingtobehard work.
butwedidn’tknowhowmuchhardwork.”
Their 2002 debut,TheBigComeUp, wasrecorded
beforethey’devenplayeda show.“Weweren’treally
aimingforanything,therewasnogreatplanor
aesthetic,”recallsAuerbach.“Wehadnothingexcept
a pureloveofmakingmusic.Theideaofthebluesis
a turn-offforhipsters.Butforpeopleforwhomblues
musicis forlife,I thinkthere’ssomethingdeeperthere.”
Eachoftheband’salbums– markedbyAuerbach’s
garageriffs,Carney’sswampygroovesanda combinedear
fora bighook– outsolditspredecessor.Their
breakthrough,2010’sBrothers, cutatMuscle
Shoals,wentontowinthreeGrammys.
“IstillthinkBrothersis thebest-sounding
recordwe’veeverdone,”saysAuerbach.“We
didn’tseeanyofthehugesalesandGrammys
coming,butit wasthefirsttimethatthe
soundweheardinourheadswasfinally
there.Finallywegotthelo-fi,distorted
fucked-upsoundthatwelovedsomuch,buthi-fi
atthesametime.I lovethesimplicityofit.I thinkthe
enthusiasmshowsoneverylevelofBrothers.”
TheKeysfollowedthesuccessofBrotherswithEl
Camino– co-producedandco-writtenwithDanger
Mouse,akaBrianBurton– whichfinallyelevated
the duo to stadium status in America and Europe. frazer harriSon/Getty iMaGeS; ebet robertS/redfernS; Steve Granitz/WireiMaGe

“AllWehAd

WAsA pure

lov eof

mAking

music”

dA n Au er bAch

Keyinfluences:
Carney’suncle
Ralph,saxplayer
for Tom Waits...

...and
Auerbach’s
uncle,former
Voidoid
Robert Quine

Igotmine:at
theGrammy
Awardsin
2011

Outsidethe
Wilternin LA,
October 2003
Free download pdf