The New Yorker has just released the ultimate profile on Jack White, the creative force behind The White Stripes and The Raconteurs, newfound vinyl factory owner, director of Third Man Records and professional upholsterer.
In the interview White delves into his creative process, his personal life, hobbies and musical experiences to date. For any fan of his, it’s an essential read.
What are the most extravagant details about the personal life and creative process of Jack White?
Amongst the profile, one of the standouts is the way in which White writes his music. He has a seeming obsession with imposing restriction upon himself, mentally and physically. The article closes with White in an isolated, bare home with nothing but a few obscure paintings and a tape recorder:
“I’m going to try to write songs where I can’t be heard by the next-door neighbor,” White said. “And I want to write like Michael Jackson would write—instead of writing parts on the instruments or humming melodies, you think of them. To do everything in my head and to do it in silence and use only one room.”
Four tracks,” White said, pointing at the tape recorder. “With computers you can use three hundred and ten tracks if you want to, but it’s too much freedom. I always have my own rules, and I can bend them if I want. I can see the confines I’m working in, but nobody else knows I’m doing it.”
He also discusses his new pressing plant, his romanticism towards eventually directing a film and his most left-field personal possessions (namely a demo tape Elvis Presley recorded at the age of 18). Head to The New Yorker for the full read.
