The Black Keys

The Black Keys launched as an unpolished blues-rock duo steeped in the raw energy of juke-joint performers like Junior Kimbrough. After sharpening their gritty garage approach on Rubber Factory in 2004, the pair—guitarist and vocalist Dan Auerbach alongside drummer Patrick Carney—moved to the major-label roster at Nonesuch and ventured into expansive psychedelic realms, at times with producer Danger Mouse at the helm. Those partnerships with the inventive hip-hop producer unlocked fresh sonic layers, hues, and depths that the duo then poured into taut, platinum-certified tracks across Brothers and El Camino, both issued during the first years of the 2010s. Following the hallucinatory Turn Blue in 2014, the band stepped away for a lengthy break spanning the latter half of the decade, a period in which Auerbach established his Easy Eye Sound studio and imprint. They reemerged with fresh drive on 2019’s Let’s Rock, sustaining that momentum through the blues-covers collection Delta Kream in 2021 and the rhythm-driven, guest-laden Ohio Players in 2024.

Born in Akron, Ohio, Auerbach and Carney assembled the Black Keys in 2001. Their first outing, The Big Come Up, surfaced in 2002 to warm critical notices and solid sales that secured a deal with Fat Possum before year’s end. The label issued Thickfreakness—captured during a single 14-hour session—in spring 2003, after which the group toured in support of Sleater-Kinney. Their profile rose sharply with Rubber Factory in 2004, an album that earned praise and notable exposure, including a clip for “10 A.M. Automatic” that starred comedian David Cross. A 2005 DVD captured their acclaimed concert energy, while the same year brought Chulahoma, an EP devoted to blues interpretations.

The Black Keys crossed into major-label territory with the atmospheric Magic Potion in 2006, further enlarging their audience. They leaned into that darker tone on 2008’s Attack & Release, produced by Danger Mouse, demonstrating that the duo reached beyond strict blues-rock confines. Salvaged from sessions planned as a collaboration with Ike Turner, who passed before completion, the record became their strongest seller to that point, entering the Billboard Top 15 and drawing favorable reviews. After a second live DVD, the pair pursued separate endeavors in 2009: Auerbach issued his solo effort Keep It Hid early in the year, while Carney formed Drummer, taking on bass duties. Blakroc, a rap-rock project linking the Keys with producer Damon Dash, closed out 2009.

Brothers arrived in 2010 and marked their largest success yet, spawning the singles “Tighten Up,” “Howlin’ for You,” and “Next Girl.” The set revisited their sturdy blues foundations with added scale, securing three Grammy Awards, placements on year-end lists from NPR to Rolling Stone, and gold certification. El Camino in 2011 delivered a more direct rock approach; propelled by “Lonely Boy,” it opened at number two on the Billboard Top 200. The band promoted the album extensively into the following year, releasing “Gold on the Ceiling” as its follow-up single and maintaining a heavy touring schedule. Late 2012 saw the Tour Rehearsal Tapes EP, a concise set of studio live run-throughs drawn from that year’s material.

Returning to Danger Mouse for the next project, the duo recorded through summer 2013. In contrast to the concise, punchy rock of El Camino, Turn Blue carried a psychedelic thread evident on the advance singles “Fever” and “Turn Blue.” The album reached listeners in early May 2014 and immediately topped the pop charts.

After completing the Turn Blue campaign, the Black Keys entered an extended hiatus. Auerbach stayed active through numerous production assignments, launched the soul-leaning side project the Arcs, and released his second solo album, Waiting for a Song, in 2017. Carney likewise produced, most notably joining Michelle Branch on her 2017 record Hopeless Romantic.

The duo resurfaced in March 2019 with the single “Lo/Hi,” the opening track from their ninth album, Let’s Rock. Upon its June arrival the set debuted at number four on the Billboard Top 200 and number three on the U.K. charts. In 2021 they highlighted their enduring admiration for Mississippi blues figures such as R.L. Burnside and Junior Kimbrough on the Grammy-nominated covers album Delta Kream, which included their take on the Big Joe Williams and John Lee Hooker classic “Crawling Kingsnake.”

For their eleventh album the pair revisited early working methods, crafting material in stripped-down fashion before tracking at Auerbach’s Easy Eye Sound facility. The sessions featured input from ZZ Top’s Billy F. Gibbons, Kings of Leon’s Angelo Petraglia, and the Reigning Sound’s Greg Cartwright. Initial results emerged in early 2022 via the single “Wild Child,” followed by the full Dropout Boogie in May. The record climbed to number eight on the Billboard 200 and number two on both the Top Rock and Alternative Albums charts.

In 2012 the Black Keys joined several other guests onstage with the Rolling Stones for a concert later issued as Grrr Live! on vinyl and digital formats in 2023; fellow performers included Bruce Springsteen, Lady Gaga, and John Mayer. Auerbach and Carney again convened at Easy Eye Sound for their twelfth album, 2024’s Ohio Players. The buoyant, wide-ranging collection drew on an array of prominent contributors—Noel Gallagher, Beck, Juicy J, Dan the Automator, Leon Michels, Greg Kurstin, and numerous session musicians. Preview singles “Beautiful People (Stay High)” and “This Is Nowhere” preceded the release, after which the band toured extensively across the United Kingdom and North America. October brought a horror-themed collaboration with Alice Cooper on “Stay in Your Grave,” included in an expanded Ohio Players edition.