Noel Gallagher says tracks he’s co-written with The Black Keys are “f***ing amazing”

14 June 2023, 13:55 | Updated: 3 January 2024, 13:33

Noel Gallagher and The Black Keys
Noel Gallagher has talked about working in the studio with The Black Keys. Picture: 1. Matt Crockett/Press 2. Jim Herrington

By Jenny Mensah

The former Oasis guitarist and songsmith revealed he’s penned three tracks with the duo for their forthcoming album.

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Noel Gallagher says the tracks he’s co-written with The Black Keys are amazing.

The former Oasis rocker lent his hand to the duo’s 12th studio offering, telling Rolling Stone: “We did a week in the studio in London and wrote three songs,” he says. “And I’ve gotta tell you, they’re fucking amazing.”

The duo - comprised of Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney - also had high praise for the Manchester rocker, calling him “The Chord Lord”.

Speaking to NME, the Gold On The Ceiling rockers gushed: “We were referring to him [Noel] as ‘The Chord Lord’ because he’s just a perfectionist with it.”

The pair added that they thought Noel was “hilarious” and “talented” and was quite taken with his brother’s work too.

“Dan and I are big fans of him and Liam,” he added. “Actually, the Liam song Everything’s Electric is why we decided to work with [producer Greg] Kurstin."

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Noel may have sat down in the studio with the Ohio rockers, but he generally looks down on artists who use co-writers and took aim at The Beach Boys' Brian Wilson, Ed Sheeran and Harry Styles.

"I never loved the Beach Boys,” he says. “I was watching a documentary once and I was like, hang on a minute. Who the f***'s this Van Dyke Parks? Oh, he’s the lyricist? It’s like, what? Brian Wilson didn’t even write the lyrics? Well, what the f***? Why is he revered as a great songwriter?

"And, um, Harry Styles and Ed Sheeran and all the rest of them, I’m sorry. Once you employ outside people … they’re solo artists. How can he be a solo artist if there’s someone else [co-]writing the fucking songs for you?”

Asked how it's different to the songs are being co-written with a bandmate, he responded: “If you are writing songs with a guy, be in a band with that f***ing guy!”

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