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 CHAD PARKHILL speaks to PATRICK CARNEY of THE BLACK KEYS about work ethics, Alcoholics Anonymous, and the reasons why Australia loves its rock & roll.
Akron, Ohio, is definitely a remarkable place, and not only for being the birthplace of The Black Keys. Not merely content with providing the world with indie music’s most hard-working blues-rock duo, Akron has also provided the world with Alcoholics Anonymous (the first meeting was held in Akron in 1935), arthouse film auteur Jim Jarmusch, and, well, a whole bunch of tyres. In fact, Akron is called ‘the rubber capital of the world’, which would explain why The Black Keys chose to name their third album Rubber Factory, if not necessarily something about the music itself.
“We recorded it in a rubber factory” says Patrick Carney, the softly-spoken drummer and one half of The Black Keys. “We recorded it in an old General Tyre Company building – number three, I think, the R&D building – but they moved from Akron after they ran out of business, years ago. Akron is kind of a post-industrial wasteland,” he says, “but it’s going through a metamorphosis at the moment.” Is this a cultural metamorphosis? “That, and just trying to switch from an industrial-based economy to something greater ... you know, the whole new generation of kids who have grown up post-industry.” And although The Black Keys are themselves an important part of this new shift, Carney emphasises that they are part of this shift for some genuinely altruistic reasons: “We grew up knowing that our city was dying. We’re trying to save the ship for people who live here.” (Carney and his musical accomplice, Dan Auerbach, don’t draw much inspiration from Akron’s other famous export, Alcoholics Anonymous – despite the fact that his house is “literally a block and a half” from founder Bob Smith’s then-home, Carney still enjoys a beverage or two: “hard drinking in moderation is good,” he says.) If they’ve taken nothing else from their hometown, though, The Black Keys have taken its work ethic: between 2002 and 2006, the group has released four albums proper, as well as two EPs and a live album, with a major new collaboration – with producer du jour Dangermouse and sometime pugilist Ike Turner – set to be released later this year. “The idea of being in a band and putting out a record once every two years is kinda lame,” Carney says wearily, “so we try to do as much as possible.” This ethic translates into their touring schedule as well, which takes in Australia for the fifth time running. “For some reason, Australia’s always been exceptionally good to us – always good shows, good responses. Our best-selling record over here entered the billboard charts at, like, 150 or something; in Australia we had a top 20 record for a week.” So what is it about The Black Keys that resonates with Australian audiences? “We make loud, raw rock & roll. Australia has a taste for it ... you guys have got a lot of great bands, like Radio Birdman and The Saints.” Carney’s philosophy? “We’re just trying to have fun and make records. I don’t know how we fit in. To my mind, it doesn’t matter how we fit in. I don’t really care.” Rock on. The Black Keys play the Coolangatta Hotel Saturday May 5, the Hotel Great Northern Sunday May 6, and the Tivoli Wednesday May 9. Their album Magic Potion is out now through Modular/Universal.
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