Jack White secretly releases new album
Jack White has never been a musician who was particularly concerned about the conventions of the music industry. Throughout his career, the Detroit garage rocker has done things by his own rules, constantly finding new ways to inject excitement and originality into his output. It was only a matter of time before White formed his own independent label, Third Man Records.
Since first being established in 2001, Third Man has been the sole proprietor of Jack White’s musical material, in addition to putting out incredible releases from a plethora of other artists too. Owning his own label allows White to, essentially, do whatever he wants, as has been signified by his most recent stunt; releasing a secret album entirely through his Third Man Records stores.
After a handful of cryptic social media posts, customers at Third Man Records stores in Nashville, Detroit, and London discovered that White had stealthily released a brand-new solo LP. Given away for free with any purchase, the vinyl-only release is housed in a low-key blank sleeve, stamped with ‘No Name’ and the catalogue number TMR-1000 in Jack White’s signature tone of blue.
Of course, once the information got out that Third Man was giving away a secret Jack White record for free with purchases, the three storefronts were quickly swamped by fans. Reportedly, the album itself sounds stripped-back, closer to White’s early work with The White Stripes than his recent solo effort, like 2022’s Entering Heaven Alive.
In addition to hardcore Jack White fans, many re-sellers managed to get their hands on the cryptic record. In the hours after the news first spread, copies of the vinyl record appeared on sites like Ebay priced anywhere from £400-£1000. At current, it is unclear how many copies of the record actually exist, as TMR and White have been fairly secretive about the exact details of the release.
According to a social media post by Third Man Records London, the album was only available yesterday, though it is unclear whether the record – presumably entitled No Name – will receive a widespread release later down the line.
This is certainly not the first time that White has pulled a vinyl-based stunt. Back in 2016, the songwriter sent a functioning turntable into space via a weather balloon. His 2014 solo album Lazaretto was pressed on a particularly interesting record, with hidden tracks in the paper labels and a hologram hidden in the deadwax.
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