The Black Keys are an American rock duo formed in 2001 in Akron, Ohio. The band consists of Dan Auerbach (vocals, guitar) and Patrick Carney (drums). They began as an independent act, recording music in basements and self-producing their records. Their raw blues-rock sound is heavily influenced by artists such as Junior Kimbrough, R.L. Burnside, Howlin' Wolf, and Robert Johnson.
After signing with indie label Alive, they released their debut album The Big Come Up in 2002, which led to a deal with Fat Possum Records. Over the next decade, The Black Keys built an underground fanbase through extensive touring of small clubs, frequent album releases, and music festival appearances. Their third album, Rubber Factory, received critical acclaim and boosted the band's profile, eventually leading to a record deal with major label Nonesuch Records in 2006.
The group's commercial breakthrough came in 2010 with the album Brothers, which, along with its popular single "Tighten Up," won three Grammy Awards. Their 2011 follow-up El Camino received critical acclaim and peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 chart, leading to the first arena concert tour of the band's career. The album and its hit single "Lonely Boy" won another three Grammy Awards. In 2014, they released their eighth album, Turn Blue, their first number-one record in the US, Canada, and Australia. After completing the Turn Blue Tour in 2015, the duo took a hiatus for several years to work on side projects and produce other artists.
The duo returned in 2019 with their ninth album, Let's Rock. In 2021, they released Delta Kream, a tribute to Mississippi hill country blues. Returning to original songwriting, Dropout Boogie was released in 2022. In 2024, they released Ohio Players, but it was undermined by an abruptly canceled arena tour amid internal turmoil and management changes. Undeterred, they channeled the setbacks into No Rain, No Flowers, which was released on August 8, 2025.
