NonCOMM Recap: A Dan & Dan Music Podcast Conversation with Dan Auerbach

Dan DeLuca couldn’t make it to NonCOMM today, but luckily Dan Auerbach was able to fill his spot for the taping of a Dan & Dan Music Podcast segment. The Black Keys co-founder is prepping the release of his sophomore solo effort Waiting on a Song, the first record he’ll share through his own Easy Eye Sound label. Over the nearly hour long discussion he talked about the inspiration for the LP, what it’s like recording other people’s music, and his knack for meeting cool people.

Dan Reed made sure to mention that Waiting on a Song lead single “Shine On Me” is the #1 song on non-commercial radio right now, to which Auerbach commented in the midst of clapping and chuckling “I still would’ve come if it wasn’t, this [interview] was scheduled a while ago.” A highlight of the track is the guest guitar riffs by Mark Knopfler – a collaboration that Auerbach says happened pretty instantly after he identified some open places in the song that Knopfler’s signature guitar sound could fill perfectly. He sent Knopfler the song having never met him before (he still hasn’t), and two days later the Dire Straits musician sent back completed tracks and a nice note. It’s Auerbach’s knack for I.D.ing the right people to work with that has created the most interesting moments in his career, like Dr. John’s 2012 effort Locked Down (“It’s sort of my thing, I just bug people [until they agree to work with me],” he says).

Earlier in the conversation the Dans discussed Auerbach’s recent stint in Nashville, his new, old school-inspired studio, and his lifelong affinity for primitive blues musicians like T Bone Walker and Hound Dog Taylor. This led to a detailed account of the early Black Keys days, including how Auerbach and BK bandmate Patrick Carney grew up together, and how “Tighten Up” (off of 2010’s Brothers) was the turning point for the band’s success.

Stay tuned for more of the conversation in an upcoming Dan & Dan Music Podcast episode, and in the meantime dig into the archives here. Watch “Shine On Me” below; Waiting on a Song is out June 2nd.