The Black Keys shed light on the making of their greatest albums in the new issue of Uncut, out on Friday (November 23).

The duo, who are set to play two dates at London’s O2 Arena in December, explain how they moved from recording on four-track in drummer Patrick Carney’s basement for their first few albums to holing up in more luxurious studios with producer Danger Mouse on last year’s El Camino.

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Referring to the band’s ethos on their debut, The Big Come Up, guitarist and singer Dan Auerbach says: “Most people realised that we weren’t copyists. We were heavily influenced by certain sounds and wore our influences on our sleeve. This wasn’t an artistic statement, this was literally who we were.”

Auerbach’s work on Dr John’s acclaimed Locked Down album, the Keys’ recording sessions at Muscle Shoals, and their stalled collaboration with Ike Turner are also touched on, along with their own albums including Brothers, Attack & Release and Thickfreakness.

The new issue of Uncut, dated January 2013, is out on Friday, November 23.