The one album that changed Jack White’s life
The White Stripes emerged as one of the key bands from the garage rock revival era, steadfastly becoming one of the biggest alternative rock outfits of the early 2000s. Clad in red and black outfits and pretending to be siblings, Meg and Jack White were an instantly recognisable duo. They released six albums as The White Stripes, taking influence from classic blues, punk, and ‘60s garage rock, and in turn, they spawned many huge hits, most notably ‘Seven Nation Army’.
The duo married in 1996, although they tried to keep this a secret. Eventually divorcing in 2000, the pair would still work together for the remaining years of the band, which officially ended in 2011. Clearly, they were able to put aside their personal differences for the greater good of their music, and the results were impressive. They released various classic records, such as Elephant and White Blood Cells, but in the end, White started collaborating with other musicians.
In 2005, he formed The Raconteurs with Brendan Benson, Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler, and they released their debut album, Broken Boy Soldiers, the following year. The band instantly found success, and since then, they’ve released two more albums: Consolers of the Lonely and Help Us Stranger. Teaming up with new musicians ended up being a highly impactful decision for White, who had predominantly worked with Meg for the past few years.
Talking to Vulture, he explained how important recording Broken Boy Soldiers was to him. “It was writing with another songwriter for the first time in a real way,” White said. “We went in, wrote and recorded together in this brand-new band. It was not a good career move to start a brand-new band while I already had a band that was connecting with people with The White Stripes. It was a dangerous thing to do, but it was also brand-new territory for me.”
White called the band a “great lesson,” adding, “It really changed my life in a lot of ways because I proved to myself that I could work well with others. Whereas people might have thought, ‘Well, The White Stripes works because you’re the songwriter and all the melodies are coming from just yourself.’ This was a collaboration that you couldn’t doubt — it was another songwriter and two lead singers in the band! It was great for my learning over the years.”
The Raconteurs might not hold the same legacy as The White Stripes, but the band were a significant stepping stone for White, helping to establish his talent even further. Since then, he has also worked with artists as wide ranging as Beyoncé, Wanda Jackson, and Tyler, the Creator. White has also enjoyed a successful solo career, releasing six albums, and even been part of another band, Dead Weather.
However, it all comes back to that first Raconteurs album. “Instantly, I had created a new moment. If I had come out with a record with a new band and it didn’t connect with people, people would have said, ‘Well, you made a mistake. You should have stayed in The White Stripes and done only that. That’s what works for you, so okay.’”
Concluding, he added: “But that did work, so it gave me the idea that one day I could play by myself as a solo act. Or maybe be in a different band.”
