The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach Writing Soundtrack for Indie Comic Book Murder Ballads

The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach Writing Soundtrack for Indie Comic Book Murder Ballads

Photo by Danny Clinch

The Black Keys‘ Dan Auerbach is writing a soundtrack for Murder Ballads, a comic book series due out this fall via Z2 Comics, as Vulture points out. Murder Ballads is described as a “rock ’n’ roll noir story about the music industry and redemption,” and centers on a record label owner who crosses paths with two blues musicians. For the accompanying soundtrack, Auerbach has enlisted musicians such as Mick Collins of the Dirtbombs and the Gories.

It came about because Auerbach is friends with the comic’s writer, Gabe Soria. He said the soundtrack is “shorter than a double LP and longer than eight minutes,” and has yet to be mixed. “The music that he was talking about seemed—well, I could wrap my mind around it,” Auerbach said of Soria’s direction. “He knew I was really big into northern Mississippi music, so I understood the reference points when he was talking to me about it.”

He also shared a word on how it might be consumed alongside the comic: “I can’t personally listen to music that has lyrics and read at the same time. “That’s like doing two yo-yos at once. Absolute insanity. So I know how I’m gonna enjoy it: I’ll do them separately, but they’ll be connected in my mind.”

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