The Black Keys return with 9th studio album, 'Let's Rock'

New song ‘Eagle Birds’ debuts

The Black Keys’ ninth studio album, “Let’s Rock,” will be released June 28 via Easy Eye Sound/Nonesuch Records. The long-awaited album, their first in five years, is a return to the straightforward rock of the singer/guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney’s early days as a band.

Auerbach said, “When we’re together we are The Black Keys, that’s where that real magic is, and always has been since we were 16.”

The second song from the record, “Eagle Birds,” debuts today; it follows the previously released single “Lo/Hi.” The Black Keys’ 31 city North American tour begins Sept. 23. “Let’s Rock” is available for pre-order on all formats here.

“Let’s Rock” was written, tracked live, and produced by Auerbach and Carney at Easy Eye Sound studio in Nashville and features backing vocals from Leisa Hans and Ashley Wilcoxson.

“The record is like a homage to electric guitar,” Carney said. “We took a simple approach and trimmed all the fat like we used to.”

The “Let’s Rock” Tour will hit cities including Chicago, Nashville, New York and Los Angeles. Special guests Modest Mouse will provide support on all dates, and Shannon & The Clams, Jimmy “Duck” Holmes, *repeat repeat, and Jessy Wilson will each open select shows on the tour. The band also headlines 2019’s “Life Is Beautiful” Festival in Las Vegas on Saturday, Sept. 21. Tickets for all dates are on sale here.

Rolling Stone named “Lo/Hi” a “Song You Need to Know” and said, “the Keys have officially returned, louder than ever,” while the New York Times called the song “the kind of garage-boogie stomp that the band never left behind.”

Formed in Akron, Ohio in 2001, The Black Keys have released eight studio albums: their debut “The Big Come Up” (2002), followed by “Thickfreakness” (2003) and “Rubber Factory” (2004), along with their releases on Nonesuch Records: “Magic Potion” (2006), “Attack & Release” (2008), “Brothers” (2010), “El Camino” (2011), and, most recently, “Turn Blue” (2014). The band has won six Grammy Awards and headlined festivals including Coachella, Lollapalooza and Governors Ball.