Dan Auerbach delivers a delightfully wicked rendition of “Stand By My Girl” in a preview clip from his upcoming appearance on Austin City Limits.
“Stand By My Girl” appears on Auerbach’s latest solo album, Waiting On a Song, and finds the Black Keys frontman flipping some of the conventions of a traditional rock-and-soul devotional. On ACL, Auerbach partners with his guitarist for some soaring riffs and delivers the song’s cheeky hook – “I’m gonna stand by my girl/ Don’t think I won’t/ I’m gonna stand by my girl/ Because she’d kill me if I don’t” – as his band kicks out the plucky tune and provides backing gang vocals.
Auerbach also sat down for an interview after his ACL performance and spoke about partnering with 63-year-old soul newcomer Robert Finley, the musicians in his backing band – two of which also played in the famed American Sound Studio house band, the Memphis Boys – and working with acclaimed songwriter John Prine on Waiting On a Song.
“We were just trying to make each other laugh most of the time,” Auerbach said of writing with Prine. “That’s the thing about getting in the room and writing, you just don’t what’s gonna happen, you have no idea if it’s gonna work or not. Even if two people are great writers, you don’t know they’re gonna work together. So we got together and very quickly we were coming up with these songs and it was kind of effortless and fun and we just had a really good time. We hit it off.”
Auerbach’s episode of Austin City Limits airs February 10th on PBS, and will also feature a performance from Shinyribs. That same night in Vancouver, the musician will launch a 20-date tour featuring artists signed to his label, Easy Eye Sound. The Easy Eye Sound Revue lineup boasts Auerbach, Finley, Shannon Shaw and special guests Shannon and the Clams.
