“I love them”: the two singers Jack White said are what music is supposed to be
You’ve got to hand it to Jack White for his complete and utter commitment to being a bit of a technophobic Luddite, and I say that with all the love in the world for him and his artistry.
Whether it’s to do with his approaches to work, perceptions of technology’s place in society, or simply his tastes, he’s always maintained a sense of vitriol for anything vaguely modern, and is far more content when surrounding himself with outmoded devices, methods and ways of living his life. If there wasn’t such a disconnect between their personal views, you can almost certainly bet he’d happily be engaging with Morrissey via fax machine.
One major example of how he adheres to these principles is the fact that he will only ever use analogue recording equipment during the process of making his records, citing the fact that its restrictive nature is something he actively gets a kick out of and finds the challenge of using to enhance his creative process. There will be none of that ProTools bullshit for him, please and thank you.
On top of this, he certainly doesn’t like mobile phones either, and didn’t own one until his wife gave him one for his 50th birthday in 2025; a gift I’m sure he thoroughly appreciated being on the receiving end of, given his vehement distaste for being contacted while on the go. White was an early proponent of the movement that encouraged a zero-tolerance policy on mobile phones at his shows, with concert-goers having to lock their devices in their own little safe upon entry to the venue.
Then, when it comes to the music he enjoys most, he’s not exactly averse to modern music, given how he runs Third Man Records and champions many up-and-coming acts through this venture, but will take every opportunity to extol the virtues of music from the distant past.
It’s no secret that White has always been a worshipper of bands like Led Zeppelin, something that is evident from his vocal style and guitar tone, but he also digs a large amount of the sort of music that they were inspired by.
As a huge advocate for early blues pioneers such as Son House and Lead Belly, Delta blues acts are high up on White’s list of personal loves, although two particular performers jump out at him a significant amount more, as he declared in a 2009 interview with Hotpress.
“You listen to all that music through a filter all the time,” White expressed, referring to his perceptions of authenticity in music. “I’m always listening to it through a filter. You assume that Charley Patton and Robert Johnson are authentic, and I love them for it, and I think that the mystery surrounding the way they recorded music is what I want music to be. The beauty of that coming off the needle is exactly what I’m hoping for.”
Of course, he said “off the needle”, suggesting that his music listening is kept strictly to vinyl rather than digital, and it’s almost surprising to learn that acetate isn’t his preferred listening medium. However, to know that he holds these particular artists up as being the gold standard for how music should be in terms of it being an honest medium isn’t a shock to discover at all, and for large portions of his career, I’d say he’s done a pretty good job of being himself in all of his art too.
