Dan Auerbach Quotes
Born: May 14, 1979
Dan Auerbach, the visionary frontman of The Black Keys, channels a philosophy of raw resilience and laser-like focus forged in the crucible of the American garage. Rising from a basement in Akron, Ohio, he transformed gritty limitations into a global sound, proving that constraint breeds creativity. His legacy is one of relentless reinvention—turning noise into clarity and setbacks into fuel. Auerbach’s words resonate because they strip away pretense, offering a blueprint for pushing through creative block and personal doubt. He teaches that true focus isn't about avoiding distraction, but about choosing what to burn for.
Dan Auerbach Quotes (29)
"I never listen to Led Zeppelin. But, I mean, I don't think Robert Plant or Jimmy Page listen to Led Zeppelin, either. We all probably obsessed over the same old blues records growing up."
— Dan Auerbach"It's not about success. Whatever happens, it doesn't matter. I would like to not go bankrupt or get some incurable disease, but other than that, I'm just happy to keep going."
— Dan Auerbach"You get to bring your own sound system when you play an arena, all the lights and visual stuff, which I think is really cool. There's something about those old arenas, where it feels larger than life."
— Dan Auerbach"Guitar solos bore the hell out of me. Only a few guitarists interest me, and it's not about the solos they play, it's about the grooves they create."
— Dan Auerbach"I'm really not worried about what fans think."
— Dan Auerbach"I started playing bluegrass with my family, so there were the G, C and D chords. I was playing a Martin acoustic because that's what Carter Stanley of the Stanley Brothers played. Then I got into the really raw blues of Hound Dog Taylor and started on electric guitar."
— Dan Auerbach"My mom bought me a white Strat, but that wasn't what I wanted, so I went to a guitar store in Cleveland and - the guy told me it was a really good deal - made an even swap for a blue Teisco Del Ray. I loved that guitar and used it a bunch."
— Dan Auerbach"When I recorded my solo album, 'Keep It Hid,' in 2008, I'd gotten more interested in songwriting, inspired by reading Charles Bukowski and connecting with unfancy, interesting language."
— Dan Auerbach"My mum's family would all get together, with guitars, harmonica, mandolins and upright bass and play old blues and folk songs. That was normal to me."
— Dan Auerbach"Everybody always wants to rebel against their parents' music, but nobody listened to music louder than my dad."
— Dan Auerbach"You know who we hear about all the rappers from? The bus drivers."
— Dan Auerbach"Dude, everybody wants to be Andre 3000. He's got abs for days. How does that guy get so ripped?"
— Dan Auerbach"Bands from Akron have a sense of humor and don't tend to take themselves too seriously."
— Dan Auerbach"I'm certainly not your typical front-man material. Some people love being on stage and really open up, and I'm sort of the opposite of that. I don't crave the spotlight. I'm still not comfortable even talking on stage."
— Dan Auerbach"A Grammy is really nice, but having lots of fans is really nice, too. I think just getting a record out is a success on its own."
— Dan Auerbach"I'm definitely a guitar player, but it's the last thing I listen to in a song, after the singer and the drums."
— Dan Auerbach"The Black Keys is just a band that wants to get on stage and rock it."
— Dan Auerbach"The modern video games kind of - they're too three dimensional."
— Dan Auerbach"You know, there's always someone in mind when I'm writing. You know, it's all comes from somewhere inside."
— Dan Auerbach"Being 16 years old and getting an electric guitar is never going to get old. There's always going to be kids making music. There's always going to be kids in bands."
— Dan Auerbach"Well, when The Black Keys make a record, I never really feel limited. To me, it seems the possibilities are always endless. The big difference has been playing live and being able to recreate every little part of the record."
— Dan Auerbach"I tend to name albums after one of the songs."
— Dan Auerbach"Coming from a smaller place always made things feel more personal, which is really what it's all about."
— Dan Auerbach"Some people love being onstage and really open up, and I'm sort of the opposite of that. I don't crave the spotlight. I'm still not comfortable even talking onstage."
— Dan Auerbach"I'm not afraid of the Canadian tuxedo."
— Dan Auerbach"I am nice to everybody. But people really take advantage of it."
— Dan Auerbach"People will say, 'Just one picture please.' That is how it starts. There is just one picture and then somebody else wants another. And when I say 'No' I feel guilty."
— Dan Auerbach"When I learned to play music, I was listening to blues music. And all the blues music I liked was super simple and stripped down. And then all the hip hop I liked was super simple and stripped down and we always heard that connection."
— Dan Auerbach"Hip hop is the new rock n' roll, you know what I mean? And anybody who doesn't think that is just sort of living in the past. It's all just American music, really, when you get right down to it."
— Dan Auerbach