“Garbage in every music scene”: Jack White on the lie of authenticity in music
Jack White is famous for his solo work and the many different musical outfits he has fronted throughout his career. Whether it’s The White Stripes, Dead Weather, or The Raconteurs, every album that the musician has ever put out has been packed with energy and incredibly raw. He is one of the greatest musical minds of our generation, but he questions how successful he would be if the circumstances surrounding his upbringing were different.
A lot of the time, when we listen to music, we aren’t sold on just the sound alone; there has to be more to it than that. For instance, if someone is making inherently angry music, consumers might not be satisfied unless there is a specific reason for the artist to feel angry. If people have punk influences, there is controversy when artists are from wealthy backgrounds, and if somebody single writes a love song, we won’t buy it.
This is the toxic trait of authenticity within music. While many people think that artists should have a specific style that represents them and they can stand by, there are other artists who believe there is nothing wrong with the art and the artist being entirely separate things. So long as it speaks to you, it shouldn’t matter who is talking. One of these artists is Jack White.
When White had it put to him that an artist isn’t real unless they are writing the music themselves, he began defending those who have had pieces written for them. “Yeah, it has been for a long time. The country world never cared about that from day one,” he said. “Robert Johnson didn’t write his own songs, and people forgot about that.”
Speaking from experience, White is well aware of how much having a backstory that people can connect with or find interest in can help a band progress. He often wonders whether he would be in the same position had it not been for the fact that he is from Detroit.
“Throughout history, we’ve been sold authenticity over and over. The English press are the kings of it. You’ve got to ask yourself about the White Stripe’s appeal to England had we been from Los Angeles instead of Detroit,” he said, “The story of the city of Detroit became our authenticity, that dirty, crumbling town. I don’t see a lot of other artists getting asked about where they live, but I get asked about where I live constantly.”
He went on to talk about Nashville and how, over time, because of the success that has come from there, people are more hesitant to engage with the music coming out of the city. “A lot of people think Nashville is about really fake, plastic, country music – all business, no authenticity – and I don’t really think that’s the case,” he said, “There’s a lot of garbage, but there’s a lot of garbage in every music scene.”
While it’s sometimes nice to have musicians who feel like a representation of those listening, it shouldn’t get in the way of good music. Authenticity is important, but it can hamstring itself when it stops people from getting the spotlight they deserve just because they don’t have the right story behind their art.
