Q and A: After a tough 2024, The Black Keys bounce back with No Rain, No Flowers
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'It was a (expletive) nightmare,' is Auerbach's blunt assessment in a recent interview with Postmedia.
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Luckily, the Ohio-born, Nashville-based duo seems to have bounced back with the new record, which they are busy touring in North America and Europe. The album offers The Black Keys' usual mix of genres, from garage rock to soul, upbeat pop, blues and riff-heavy guitar rock. While the band has collaborated with other artists in the past — including Danger Mouse and Beck — No Rain, No Flowers marked the first time the duo enlisted professional songwriters to help flesh out the material. That includes Rick Nowels, a veteran songsmith who has worked with everyone from Madonna to Adele and Fleetwood Mac. He has also collaborated with singer-songwriter Lana Del Ray on numerous projects, including 2014's Ultraviolent, which Auerbach co-produced.
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Auerbach took some time to chat with Postmedia about the new record.
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Q: How has the tour been going? I understand you have been playing different types of venues compared to previous tours.
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DA: Some of them. Some of them are the same.
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Q: I saw a recent interview and you and Patrick were talking about playing a prison . . . (they actually played Outlaw Field within the Idaho Botanical Garden, which is adjacent to the Old Idaho Penitentiary site.)
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DA: (laughing) Yeah, we played a prison in Boise. That was a first. It was awesome. A few thousand people in the prison yard with the prison wall behind it. It was surreal.
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DA: They are going over really good. We were just over in Europe, and people were singing along. It felt great. We just started playing Man on a Mission a little more recently because that was the last one that came out. That one is going over great. That one definitely transitioned into the setlist swimmingly. Sometimes, you never know how a new song is going to go. Sometimes, it's difficult; sometimes it's easy. That one was easy right from the jump.
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Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account If a former partner surfaces at times — even the less-than-ideal intimate moments — it's understandable. There are some who find that line of thinking shameful or worse yet, a type of cheating. But guess what? It's perfectly normal. 'The shame around ex fantasies is completely unnecessary,' Anita Fletcher, a sex and relationship expert for adult toy brand, Fantasy Co., told the Toronto Sun. 'Our minds don't operate on a strict timeline when it comes to desire and memory.' Fletcher noted the psychology behind why exes creep into some of our more intimate moments, whether with a new partner or enjoying some solo time. 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