Dan Auerbach
Dan Auerbach
Daniel Quine "Dan" Auerbachis an American musician and record producer best known as the guitarist and vocalist for The Black Keys, a blues rock band from Akron, Ohio. As a member of the band, Auerbach has recorded and co-produced seven studio albums with his bandmate Patrick Carney. In 2009, Auerbach released a solo album entitled Keep It Hid. In addition to winning several Grammy Awards as a member of The Black Keys, Auerbach received the 2013 Grammy Award for Producer...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionGuitarist
Date of Birth14 May 1979
CityAkron, OH
CountryUnited States of America
Hip hop is the new rock n' roll, you know what I mean? And anybody who doesn't think that is just sort of living in the past. It's all just American music, really, when you get right down to it.
I never listen to Led Zeppelin. But, I mean, I don't think Robert Plant or Jimmy Page listen to Led Zeppelin, either. We all probably obsessed over the same old blues records growing up.
I started playing bluegrass with my family, so there were the G, C and D chords. I was playing a Martin acoustic because that's what Carter Stanley of the Stanley Brothers played. Then I got into the really raw blues of Hound Dog Taylor and started on electric guitar.
I used to be really nervous when I sang. Like, when I was a kid starting young, 18 and 19, and my dad really had to sort of push me to start singing in front of people. Ever since I got out there and really started doing it, the only thing I've ever tried to do is just sort of is be myself, you know, never put on a voice. Sing naturally.
I'm certainly not your typical front-man material. Some people love being on stage and really open up, and I'm sort of the opposite of that. I don't crave the spotlight. I'm still not comfortable even talking on stage.
I'm not too picky about guitars. I love to collect them, mostly oddballs, but I'm not married to any brand or model. Whatever guitar has the best character for the song is the one I want to use, because if you've got a style, you're going to sound like yourself no matter what guitar you play.
You get to bring your own sound system when you play an arena, all the lights and visual stuff, which I think is really cool. There's something about those old arenas, where it feels larger than life.
The modern video games kind of - they're too three dimensional.
The Black Keys is just a band that wants to get on stage and rock it.
Guitar solos bore the hell out of me. Only a few guitarists interest me, and it's not about the solos they play, it's about the grooves they create.
Bands from Akron have a sense of humor and don't tend to take themselves too seriously.
Coming from a smaller place always made things feel more personal, which is really what it's all about.
Everybody always wants to rebel against their parents' music, but nobody listened to music louder than my dad.
I tend to name albums after one of the songs.