The Velveteers’ ‘A Million Knives’ kicks off with Black Keys collaboration

The Velveteers are promoting their second album. million dollarshas some historical significance.

The just-released first single, “Go Fly Away,” is a collaboration with the Black Keys, and in fact marks the first time the Denver trio (Dan Auerbach) has been signed to his Easy Eye Sound label as a producer. , and Patrick Carney co-produced something for another show. “Pat played drums on some of the records I (produced),” Auerbach said advertising billboard. “With Velveteers, he was very hands-on, with all of us working in the studio.”

Velveteers frontman Demi Demitro says Carney is a regular visitor to the band million dollars The meeting was held last December at Auerbach’s Easy Eye studio in Nashville. “We didn’t know it was the first time, but it was really cool to work with Dan and Patrick,” Demytro said. In fact, Carney began the songwriting process with an opening keyboard line, which Auerbach said came from a library of musical samples. “We just worked it out from there,” Demytro recalled. “Patrick played drums on the song, and two drummers from my band (Baby Pottersmith and Jonny Fig) were playing, and then I added this heavy guitar in the chorus. After we listened to the song for a while, we Some dubbing was added just to give it some sparkle.

Auerbach said the idea of ​​pairing the Velveteers with the Black Keys was organic, perhaps inevitable. “We did some tours together, we’re all friends,” he said, “and I think Pat was also excited to get in the studio and work on a song with them. It was a really cool experience.

However, “Go Fly Away” is the only song constructed this way million dollars. The remainder of the 13-song set, which will be released on February 14, comes from extensive writing during and after the trio’s tour in support of their 2021 debut album nightmare daydreamwhich includes stadium opening dates for Guns N’ Roses and The Smashing Pumpkins.

“We were on tour for what seemed like two years straight,” Demytro said, “so we started writing every chance we could while we were home. We’ve probably written about 30 songs. We still had about a month until we got into the studio, so We just narrowed it down to the ones that felt best, Auerbach added, adding that “you just have to go with your gut” in the selection process. “I try to help them, but they have very strong opinions about their work and how they want it to be performed. I’m just here to give advice. They have a huge hook on all these great songs and they feel very ambitious and confident. That really makes it fun.

a lot of million dollars As aggressive and pensive as Auerbach describes it, “Go Fly Away” marks a transition to four more rhythmic, melodic songs – a kind of calm after the storm.

“You could say that,” Demytro admits, adding that the songs mostly deal with “different forms of heartbreak, in a lot of different ways… It’s definitely a purposeful decision; it’s definitely a purposeful decision Decision;” It feels like all these[later]songs—like “Heaven,” “Go Fly Away,” “Up Here”—feel like they were meant to be next to each other. Once you hear that part of the album, it feels like a huge, emotional release.

Apart from Auerbach and Carney, million dollars Other guests, notably guitarists, include Easy Eye regular Tom Bukovac, Cage the Elephant’s Nick Bockrath and Reigning Sound’s Greg Cartwright. “It’s just my experience and intuition and what I think might help the song or the situation,” Auerbach explains. “We don’t always use what we try, but you have to throw things against the wall and see what sticks.”

Demytro said she had “less confidence” in making a second album, explaining that “once people start listening to your music and you have an audience, you tend to second-guess yourself more.” Nonetheless, she thinks million dollars “More honest than my ex,” is what she wanted to achieve, “just more vulnerable to how I actually felt. I think there was a lot of metaphor in our last album, and on this album I wanted to be more Expressing things as they are, I think I did that.

Demitro said the Velveteers are currently on tour, with major dates running through October 25, and have “more touring” planned in 2025. Meanwhile, the trio will work on building million dollars Releases are on the horizon, including more singles, and Demytro promises, “There’s going to be a lot of visual art. I think we’re really excited to be able to share everything we’ve been working on.”