20 years after their debut album dropped, The Black Keys will be releasing their 11th studio album, Dropout Boogie. Arriving on May 13th, the new album was recorded at Dan Auerbach’s Easy Eye Sound Studios in Nashville.
The new album features collaborations with ZZ Top’s Billy F. Gibbons, Greg Cartwright of Reigning Sound, and Angelo Petraglia of Kings Of Leon. Cartwright and Petraglia both appear on new single “Wild Child,” which hearkens back to the Midwest blues rock tinged with soul that the duo have ridden to the tune of five Grammy Awards and multiple Platinum records.
“I knew Pat would love working with both of these guys, so we decided we’d give it a shot,” Auerbach added. “It was the first time we’d ever really done that. It was fun as hell. We just sat around a table with acoustic guitars and worked out a song ahead of time.”
Cartwright’s vocals sit slickly alongside Auerbach’s on the hook and the song feels like it’s right out of a roadside blues rock get-down. “The cool thing with Greg is that he wants to approach stuff with a story in mind — there’s a plot, almost,” Carney said.
The Nashville sound has suited the two kids from Akron well. Auerbach has been busy at the locale as of late, producing albums for artists on his label like Yola, Aaron Frazer, and Shannon Shaw. While Carney has been busy in Nashville himself, bringing his Audio Eagle studio on the road, and producing for artists like Tennis and Michelle Branch. “Living in Nashville and making records here has opened both of our minds to that experience a little bit more,” Auerbach said in a statement.
The band have also announced their first tour in three years. There’s 32 tour dates throughout North America beginning in Las Vegas on July 9th and ending in Dallas on October 18th.
Watch the “Wild Child” video above and check out the Dropout Boogie album artwork and the band’s full tour dates below.
07/09 — Las Vegas, NV @ MGM Grand Garden Arena
07/11 — Salt Lake City, UT @ USANA Amphitheatre
07/13 — Denver, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre
07/15 — St. Louis, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre St. Louis
07/16 — Indianapolis, IN @ Ruoff Music Center
07/17 — Chicago, IL @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre Tinley Park
07/20 — Saratoga Springs, NY @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center
07/22 — Jones Beach, NY @ Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
07/23 — Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center
07/25 — Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion
07/27 — Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion
07/29 — Boston, MA @ Xfinity Center
07/30 — Philadelphia, PA @ Waterfront Music Pavilion (formerly BB&T Pavilion)
08/24 — West Palm Beach, FL @ iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
08/25 — Tampa, FL @ MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
08/27 — Atlanta, GA @ Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
08/28 — Huntsville, AL @ Orion Amphitheatre
08/30 — Charleston, SC @ Credit One Stadium
09/01 — Raleigh, NC @ Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
09/03 — Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center
09/06 — Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage
09/07 — Detroit, MI @ Pine Knob Music Theatre
09/09 — Cuyahoga Falls, OH @ Blossom Music Center
10/02 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena
10/03 — Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena
10/05 — Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre
10/08 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Forum
10/10 — Phoenix, AZ @ Ak-Chin Pavilion
10/13 — Rogers, AR @ Walmart AMP
10/15 — Houston, TX @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
10/17 — Austin, TX @ Moody Center ATX
10/18 — Dallas, TX @ Dos Equis Pavilion
Dropout Boogie is out 5/13 via Nonesuch Records. Pre-order it here.
The Black Keys is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
