Dan Auerbach

“I'm really not worried about what fans think.”

“Bombino's a super modest guy, very nice. His whole crew is a bunch of characters and he's definitely the Grand Poobah. I don't think the other guys are that much younger than him, but he definitely feels like the wise man; you just sort of get that sense when you're around him. He doesn't say that much but he's humble and well-respected.”

“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.”

“I'm definitely a guitar player, but it's the last thing I listen to in a song, after the singer and the drums.”

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”

“You know who we hear about all the rappers from? The bus drivers.”

“Everybody always wants to rebel against their parents' music, but nobody listened to music louder than my dad.”

“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.”

“Dude, everybody wants to be Andre 3000. He's got abs for days. How does that guy get so ripped?”

“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.”

“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.”

“Devo and The Cramps didn't get big until they went to New York City. Chrissie Hynde didn't get big until she moved to London. When I was growing up, there wasn't even a place to play - just one little bar. If we wanted to have a gig, then we had to drive 45 minutes up to Cleveland.”

“You know, there's always someone in mind when I'm writing. You know, it's all comes from somewhere inside.”

“Coming from a smaller place always made things feel more personal, which is really what it's all about.”

“I am nice to everybody. But people really take advantage of it.”

“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.”

“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.”

“I tend to name albums after one of the songs.”