The Black Keys Cover R.L. Burnside’s “Going Down South”

On Monday, May 3rd, the Black Keys released a cover of blues legend, R.L. Burnside’s song “Going Down South.” The song was accompanied by a music video, which was directed by Ryan Nadzam, and features the band performing at Jimmy Duck Holmes’ Blue Front Café, along with shots from many locations around Mississippi. 

In a statement, Dan Auerbach talked about the song, saying, “That was one of R.L. Burnside’s hits! We strayed a little from the original on our version with the falsetto and percussion, but we liked how it sounded in that moment. It’s become one of my favorites on the album.”

“Going Down South” is to be included on the Black Keys upcoming album Delta Kream, which will be released on May 14 via Nonesuch Records. The band describes the album, saying, “The record celebrates the band’s roots, featuring Mississippi hill country blues standards that they have loved since they were teenagers, including songs by R.L Burnside and Junior Kimbrough, among others.”

The Black Keys released the first single off of Delta Kream, “Crawling Kingsnake” back in April. The accompanying music video for the track also shows the band performing at the Blue Front Café. Auerbach said of the song “We were honored to play alongside Kenny Brown and Eric Deaton, who are a direct link to R.L. Burnside and Junior Kimbrough. This is the Mississippi hill country sound that Pat and I first bonded over.”

Watch the music video for the Black Keys’ “Crawling Kingsnake” here.