The Black Keys reflect on 10 years of 'Brothers' album: 'We didn't take a second for granted'

For 10 days in 2009, the Black Keys escaped a sweltering August heat in Alabama by retreating deep into Muscle Shoals Sound Studios.

Broken tape recorders lined the front studio room, drummer Patrick Carney recalled. An indefinable rubber-like lining ran across the floor. Plywood — painted black, guitarist-singer Dan Auerbach said — made the studio feel "like a basement," despite being ground level.

Little more than spirits remained inside the soul sanctuary that once captured magic from the Rolling Stones and hosted history-making sessions by the Staple Singers.

But the Black Keys pushed on. After all, Auerbach and Carney built a road-worn career backed for nearly a decade by cutting albums in Ohio basements and abandoned factories.

Plus, the air conditioning worked.

"It was dismal as hell," Auerbach told The Tennessean, adding: "The only relic that they had from the original were a couple of old ...,speakers that weren't hooked up to anything."

They were some of the first musicians this century to cut songs inside Muscle Shoals — years before advocates refurbished the room, welcoming A-list Americana noisemakers regularly inside its walls.

And, the songs sounded anything but "dismal." The band, alongside co-producer Mark Neill, cut nine tracks in that dark Alabama room, igniting a spark akin to the burning Muscle Shoals sound of a generation ago — swampy rock 'n' roll grooves doused in blues and soul.

The result reverberates — literally — on "Brothers," the 2010 commercial breakthrough that rocketed the Black Keys to chart-topping success. Behind jangly Danger Mouse-produced single "Tighten Up' and Muscle Shoals product "Howlin' for You," the band stormed rock charts, dominated soundtracks, debuted on "Saturday Night Live" and scored a pair of Grammy Awards.

"I remember the first day we found that the record sold 73,000 copies, or something, in the first week and just being like what the (expletive)," Carney said. "It was a different level."

He continued, "It was (expletive) strange because we were always the underdog. To go from not being the underdog (and) it all working out, we really appreciated it. We didn't take a second for granted."

In its first archival release, the Black Keys reissue a 10-year anniversary edition of "Brothers" this week with three bonus tracks. A deluxe 7-inch vinyl box set reissue features a 60-page "Brothers" photo booklet and heat-sensitive ink on the distinct "this is an album" cover.

"This is the one that kinda changed everything for us," Auerbach said. "After six records this [was] our first honest attempt at trying to write something that could be put on the radio."

In Alabama, most songs started with Auerbach on bass and Carney on drums. The sessions came on the heels of the band releasing "Blakroc," a collaborative hip-hop record featuring Mos Def, RZA and more.

Neill drove a load of vintage equipment from San Diego, California, and Auerbach traveled with studio gear from his former home base, Akron, Ohio (The Black Keys relocated to Nashville in 2010).

"We relied mostly on stuff that Mark brought down," Carney said. "Which informed the album, really. We didn't have Pro Tools. We could only hear back 12 tracks at a time because he had a little suitcase mixing desk.

"Because of that we kept everything very simple. And it made the record what it is."

The songs — from fuzzy falsetto touches on "Everlasting Light" to time-tested retribution on "Ten Center Pistol" and jangly rock monster "Howlin' for You" — endure today as Black Keys staples. But the Muscle Shoals sessions followed some tension in the band, in part built from Auerbach releasing a debut solo album, "Keep It Hid," without telling Carney.

The drummer also entered the studio days after finalizing a divorce. Now, in their 30s, potentially facing another year of 150-plus shows, questions lingered.

"I think there was an unspoken thing where this could be the last shot," Carney said. "Let's do what we can do."

They pushed on, naming the album after a battle-worn relationship familiar to many.

"We were all on the same page," Carney said. "That's essentially why we called the record 'Brothers.' This is a brotherly relationship that we have. He's not beholden to me and I'm not beholden to him but I'm always gonna be there for him.

"That's the only way a band works. You have to get through those tough spots."

"Brothers" wouldn't be the last album, of course. The band followed it up with another commercial monster, "El Camino."

After a brief hiatus, the band released its ninth LP, "Let's Rock," last year. A lot has changed, Auerbach said, "but not when we get in the studio.

"We never have to talk about it," Auerbach said. "We sit down, and music comes out. I've always loved that."

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This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: The Black Keys on 'Brothers,' 10 years of breakout album