Purple Magazine
— F/W 2010 issue 14
The Black Keys
Portrait by Annabel Mehran
interview ad portrait by ANNABEL MEHRAN
There are hundreds of young, talented blues-based rock bands, but we at Purple wanted to meet the lovely guys from Ohio, The Black Keys, who balance good personal style with an authentic love for American music.
ANNABEL MEHRAN — What is it like to be in The Black Keys?
THE BLACK KEYS — It’s like being married to your brother and owning a summer camp with him.
ANNABEL MEHRAN — What advice would you give someone on sustaining a band/friendship/marriage?
THE BLACK KEYS — I would tell them that they need to be patient and to understand that people change. The person you befriend today won’t be the same person ten years from now. You need to be open to that change and able to adjust to it. You also need to be able to fully trust the other person.
ANNABEL MEHRAN — Which man’s style do you particularly admire?
THE BLACK KEYS — The American actor Steve McQueen. I like the idea of carrying around a baseball glove as an accessory.
ANNABEL MEHRAN — Do you buy clothes that you only wear on stage or to have your picture taken in?
THE BLACK KEYS — Dan does that more than Patrick does.
ANNABEL MEHRAN — Are there records that you never get tired of listening to?
THE BLACK KEYS — Yes, lots of them. Devo’s first album; The Feelies’ “Crazy Rythms”; “Electric Mud” by Muddy Waters; The Stooges’ “Fun House.”
ANNABEL MEHRAN — What websites do you enjoy?
THE BLACK KEYS — Wikipedia is my jam.
ANNABEL MEHRAN — Is there a movie you’d like to recommend?
THE BLACK KEYS — Meatballs III.
ANNABEL MEHRAN — Is religion important for you?
THE BLACK KEYS — It’s important for me only in the sense that it helps explain most of history.
ANNABEL MEHRAN — Do you spend too much time at the computer?
THE BLACK KEYS — Yes.
ANNABEL MEHRAN — What’s the longest time you’ve ever gone without using a cell phone?
THE BLACK KEYS — Twenty-three years.
ANNABEL MEHRAN — Do you like going to museums?
THE BLACK KEYS — Yes, natural history museums. I’m into dinosaurs.
ANNABEL MEHRAN — In which decade do you think women looked the best?
THE BLACK KEYS — The ’20s.
ANNABEL MEHRAN — Is there a record you thought you’d never like, but now actually do?
THE BLACK KEYS — Yes, Pil’s “Metal Box.”
ANNABEL MEHRAN — When was the last time you had to admit that you were wrong?
THE BLACK KEYS — I have to do that every day.
ANNABEL MEHRAN — When was the last time you hand-wrote a letter?
THE BLACK KEYS — Never.
ANNABEL MEHRAN — When was the last time you wrote a thank you note?
THE BLACK KEYS — The last time my mom made me do it — 1996, maybe?
ANNABEL MEHRAN — Is there something you like doing now that ten years ago you thought you’d never like doing?
THE BLACK KEYS — Going to bed early.
ANNABEL MEHRAN — Are there bands you like that you learned about in a magazine?
THE BLACK KEYS — Yeah, most of them, I guess. In 1994 I read something about Love as Laughter in Magnet and I’ve been a fan ever since.
ANNABEL MEHRAN — Is there a language you really like the sound of, but don’t speak?
THE BLACK KEYS — French.
