The Black Keys FACTS

-Dan Auerbach’s goal in life is “not to go bankrupt or get some incurable disease,” while Pat Carney on drums is simply “excited to become a 70-year-old man with no taste buds left who only wants to eat mustard.”

-Their name comes from an expression used by a friend of the pair, schizophrenic artist Alfred McMoore. “He would call people he doesn’t like D Flats and Black Keys,” Carney explained in 2006.

-In 2010, Pat’s personal e-mail account was hacked. The hackers sent out messages stating that he was stranded in the UK and needed money to get home.

-Early in their careers, they were offered a six-digit sum to put their music in a Hellman’s mayonnaise advert, but turned it down because they didn’t want to alienate their fan base.

-The first DJ in the world to play their music was John Peel, for whom they recorded three sessions, including one at his house, where they hung out with the family.

-By the time of their mainstream breakthrough, following 2010 album ‘Brothers’, the pair were not  speaking to one another. Pat had felt betrayed to discover Dan was touring a solo album, ‘Keep It Hid’, which he says was made without his knowledge. Dan claims: “I told him about it, but he likes to think I didn’t.”

-Their 2010 album ‘Brothers’ was a licensing bonanza. The single ‘Tighten Up’ appeared in a Subaru ad, a video game, a Gossip Girl episode and on the soundtrack to several Hollywood films.

-Dan’s numerous side projects include stints in the production chair for Dr. John, Michael Kiwanuka and Cage The Elephant. He’s also collaborated with Lana Del Rey.

-Their first album, ‘The Big Come Up’, was a lo-fi affair. Dan and Patrick recorded the entire album in Pat’s basement studio on 8-track recording equipment. Follow-up ‘Thickfreakness’ was recorded in the same studio during a single 14-hour session.

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