Black Keys’ Carney to host radio show
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Have you ever wanted to sit down and have a long conversation about music with The Black Keys? Well, that’s probably not going to happen. But SiriusXM is offering a glimpse into the duo’s world as Patrick Carney debuts a new radio show.
The drummer of the Grammy Award winners will host “Serious Boredom,” a new free-form monthly show on the satellite radio provider’s SiriusXMU channel.
“They asked me if I was interested in doing the show,” Carney said in a phone interview. “It never really crossed my mind, but I decided I wanted to do it, to give it a shot. I don’t have any format. I can play whatever I want. Being able to play stuff that’s interesting to Dan (Auerbach) and I and stuff I’m into at the moment. I think it’s a cool opportunity.”
Carney kicked off the show Thursday with music he was into in high school, a mix of standard indie rock leavened with Captain Beefheart. Carney hopes to have a theme for each show, airing at 8 on the first Thursday of each month beginning in January, that revolves around a label or a city.
The 32-year-old Nashville resident wants to emulate the adventurousness of the college radio format without the long-windedness of its DJs.
“I just try to talk as little as possible. That’s all. That’s the bottom line,” Carney said. “… I was just always so annoyed by the fact they could have played something cool. So, yeah, I try not to talk. If they want to hear that maybe they’d just listen to like Rush Limbaugh or something. Maybe there needs to be a Rush Limbaugh-conservative indie rock radio show. Maybe that will be my next venture.”
Before he expands his radio duties, though, the Keys have plenty to do in the coming months. Carney and singer-guitarist Auerbach will go into the studio next month to continue work on their next album. Carney says they’ll be joined toward the end of their recording sessions by producer Brian “Danger Mouse” Burton, who has teamed with the duo on their biggest hits.
And they plan to attend the Grammy Awards Feb. 10. The group is up for five Grammys, including album of the year for “El Camino.” Auerbach also is up for producer of the year.
“We got a couple of nominations in 2010 and that was a big shock to be recognized by them and this year was even more surreal,” Carney said.