Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach on Dylan, Lana Del Rey, New Psych-Soul Project
Speaking of injuries, you probably saw the throne Dave Grohl had built so he could play with a broken leg. On a frontman-to-frontman level, are you jealous of Dave’s throne?
No! I’m not jealous. I’m happy that he’s in it — he fucking deserves it. Listen, man. I don’t need to see a rock star running all over the goddamn stage. My favorite rock & roll footage of all time is Hound Dog Taylor at the Ann Arbor Blues Festival [in the early Seventies]. He’s playing in front of thousands of white kids — and he’s just sitting on a folding chair. That’s my idea of the coolest.
How do you keep life on the road fun when you’ve toured as much as you have?
You don’t. It’s like Groundhog Day. Every arena backstage looks exactly the same. It’s mind-numbing.
What’s the worst experience you’ve ever had on the road?
We had a winter tour in Europe around [2004’s] Rubber Factory. It was terrible. But sometimes those are the ones that you remember the best — it’s certainly the one we talk about the most. It was ice all across Europe, and we were in this little van. It was terrible. Oh, my God. That was our boot camp. It creates a bond.
I heard that you’re into boxing. Do you spar backstage on tour?
I brought a punching bag, boxing gloves and my jump-rope, and I try to work out in the afternoon. But not before shows. It’s not like I get pumped up like I’m a WWF wrestler — like, oil my body and do a bunch of pushups before I run onstage.
Bob Dylan likes boxing too. Ever talked to him about that?
Never. I’d be curious. I know he’s a fan of Manny Pacquiao, and there’s a bunch of stuff that’s come out recently about Pacquiao and performance-enhancing drugs. I’d love to hear his thoughts on that. Or anything, really.
Who would win if you and Dylan got in the ring?
I would win [laughs]. But if we got in the songwriting ring, he would win.
You produced most of Lana Del Rey’s last album. What was that like?
It was stressful, but at the end of the day, it was really enjoyable. She’s such a force, and it was cool to go into her world for a little while. “Brooklyn Baby” — fuck, I love how that song sounds.
Do you think she gets the respect she deserves as an artist?
No, I don’t think she does. But you know that. I don’t need to tell you that. I’m not worried about her, because the people that love her are fucking obsessed.
“I’m into the Vince Staples record. I was taken by surprise by how good it is. And I really love Future’s new album. It’s tough as nails.”
What’s the last great record you discovered?
I’m into the Vince Staples record. I was taken by surprise by how good it is. And I really love Future’s new album. It’s tough as nails. It’s crazy to listen to these guys — if you really pay attention to their phrasing and flow, there’s so much attention to detail. There’s just a fucking drum beat and maybe a minimal synth line, so the vocals have to be so perfect. That’s unbelievably hard to do. Those are the things that make me try harder — I put my headphones on, and it trips me out.
On one Arcs song, you sing, “Man’s best friend will bite you in the end.” I take it you’re not a dog person?
No, fuck, I love dogs! It’s man that I don’t like. I hate cats, though — mostly because all the awful girlfriends I ever had were into cats.
