Dan Auerbach, the guitarist and singer from the blues-rock duo The Black Keys, just released his first solo album, Keep It Hid. Recorded in his home studio in Akron, Ohio, the disc includes songs Auerbach wrote on tour with his band, as well as a Wayne Thompson cover and even a small collaboration with his dad, Charles Auerbach.
"Basically, [my dad] writes the lyrics, and then it's open to my interpretation," the younger Auerbach says. "He's not musical. He doesn't play an instrument, [so] when he hears a song of his completely fleshed out with a melody and instrumentation, it really bowls him over."
Auerbach's father nourished his son's career in its earliest stages, exposing him to old blues records and encouraging him to sing in public. With time, the singer has developed his rugged timbre the old-fashioned way.
"The only thing I've ever tried to do is be myself," he says. "Never put on a voice, sing naturally. And that always seems to work best for me."
Click the link above to hear Alex Cohen's interview with Dan Auerbach, including his thoughts on Grand Theft Auto, Martin Lawrence and his new electro-blues-inspired record.
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