A Look Inside Third Man Records + Acts to Watch Issue #43

Acts To Watch

By Genevieve Diesing & Jamie Gadette
Published: August 12th, 2010 | 11:52am

A LOOK INSIDE THIRD MAN RECORDS

Although the fact that iTunes sold its 10 billionth song in February may be of little significance to readers who unwrapped their first iPods in early adolescence, there are those of us who remember a time when buying and listening to music was, well, more romantic. In this age of deteriorating record labels and an all-around struggling music industry, Third Man Records—aka Jack White’s record label—is boldly sticking to its ideals.

Third Man’s repertoire reveals the selective and sophisticated taste of White, a young man with an old soul who champions atypical rock stars such as Wanda Jackson and nuanced acts like the Black Belles as well as his own beloved collaborations. White’s ears seem never to fail him, and his heart has followed suit with an artist-friendly business model. In addition to maintaining a front-of-house record store and a fully equipped production studio that artists can rent out, Third Man sells vinyl directly to fans from its Nashville headquarters. Without having to deal with a middleman, a band can record over a weekend, complete a photo shoot the next day, and—thanks to the nearby pressing facility—have its vinyl at the ready in three weeks.

But, this is not your everyday kind of vinyl. The titles are often issued in color or multicolor vinyl, quite a pricey undertaking.

“We try to do things we know aren’t going to bring in money but are fun,” says label head Ben Swank. “Not everything we do here is going to turn a profit, but it doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be on the shelves.”

That fan-first mentality was what spawned The Vault, one of the “crazy ideas” Swank, White, and executive Ben Blackwell devised during one of their sporadic brainstorming meetings (which the group holds when White breaks from touring). The subscription service available on Third Man's Web site is a Jack White fan’s dream come true: for a quarterly fee, one can access pre-sale tickets, participate in online forums with White and other Third Man bands, access videos galore, and also obtain rare—and exclusive—recordings.

“Although people have fan clubs, we thought, no one else is doing anything like this,” says Swank.

Third Man has a constant slew of surprises up its sleeve. When one of its bands plays a secret show, the label will set up a temporary satellite store and make music directly available for sale.

The vibrant Nashville headquarters is also a draw for locals. White is involved in many details of the operation, putting his personal stamp on everything from production to sleeve design—yet the company maintains that small-business approach that keeps its customers happy.

“We took a unique approach to making and selling music, and it’s actually working,” Swank says. – G.D.

THIRD MAN ACTS TO WATCH

Wanda Jackson

Wanda Jackson isn’t exactly a household name nowadays, but her forthcoming full-length album should introduce new audiences to the Queen of Rockabilly. Since her 1950s–’60s heyday, the sassy-sounding singer-guitarist has maintained a steady following of mostly hip, young things drawn to the simpler era that her music evokes.

“We were kind of the last generation to represent the innocence of America,” she says of her youth. “Our teenage years went at a much slower pace. Maybe people today long for that type of thing—so they listen to our simple, little rockabilly songs, do the old jitterbug, dress in vintage clothes, and drive classic cars.”

Jackson never counted on the resurgence of vinyl, nor did she foresee working with a producer who prefers analog, as was the case when Jack White came calling after Jackson expressed interest in doing a duet. He turned her down on the vocal collaboration but offered to team up for cover material that initially took Jackson out of her comfort zone. “I’m used to being in control, but I decided the day has come that if I have someone like Jack, I should turn the reins over to him.” For Jackson, that meant being open to new genres and British slang. On a 7-inch single that was released in January, White had Jackson cover Johnny Kidd & the Pirates’ firecracker hit “Shakin’ All Over” and Amy Winehouse’s “You Know I’m No Good.” Jackson learned and recorded the latter in one session after cutting some of the tune’s more tawdry innuendo.

For the most part, though, Jackson rolled with the punches and followed White’s direction. Impressed with his work on country legend Loretta Lynn’s Van Lear Rose, she trusted his instincts insofar as they didn’t offend her moral compass. “Even though I still think my best material is rockabilly and '50s rock music, I was open to [White’s] suggestions. He just had to prove to me that his way was best,” she says.

It helped that White was a gentle, caring taskmaster. “He pushed until he got what he wanted, right into the 21st century, but he still allowed me to be myself.” Mum’s the word on Jackson’s debut LP due out this fall. She’ll only reveal the inclusion of a rare Elvis cover. Withholding details builds an element of suspense and excitement around an album that might otherwise become lost in the digital age—just one more reason Third Man Records stays on the cutting edge by reclaiming the past. – J.G.

The Dead Weather

Of all the Rock 'n' Roll brands that Jack White has made his own, the version he co-created with the Dead Weather is likely the toughest. The super group’s murky, raging sound glides by on so much swagger that it relies on the talent of White and singer Alison Mosshart to really appreciate it.

How funny, then, that the band arrived at its delicate chemistry—and runaway success—almost effortlessly. The group, which is also comprised of Dean Fertita of Queens of the Stone Age and Jack Lawrence of the Raconteurs, struck up an impromptu jam session in January 2009. The band found itself tapping into a natural, savage energy that now defines the tone of their music. This was especially significant for Mosshart, who took “what felt like 10 years” to find Jamie Hince, the guitarist with whom she formed the Kills in 2001.

“It felt sort of magical,” Mosshart says of the first Dead Weather meetup. “We never really meant to be a band; we never talked about it. We just started playing together and we all just fell in love with how it sounded and how it felt. It was really easy.”

So easy, that the fledgling group wrote and recorded their first album, the joyously raw Horehound, in three weeks. Soon thereafter, they embarked on an international tour, and weeks after it ended, they announced that material for their second album, Sea of Cowards, was halfway done.

Released in May, Cowards impresses even more than its predecessor. Fueled by a creative fire that has deepened rather than wavered with success, the album is bluesier and darker than the first. The electronic arrangements and repetitive vocals on “The Difference Between Us” could fare well on radio, and crazed tracks like “I Can’t Hear You” show Mosshart's ability to convey layered emotion without having to exhaust her vocal chords.

The Dead Weather’s distinctiveness rests on a kind of ferocity waged by Mosshart who glowers onstage and spits out her lyrics—it's a feminine strength that balances the group’s chemistry and creates room for experimentation. Unlike the White Stripes, where Meg’s placidity is a backdrop against which Jack shines, or the Raconteurs’ balls-out guitar-wailing that infuses a room with testosterone, Mossheart’s dark persona ensures a shared spotlight and therefore flexibility.

With such a workable dynamic and inexhaustible drive, the Dead Weather will surely go down as much more than just another one of White’s side projects. Let's just hope that's not anytime soon. –G.D.

Karen Elson

Karen Elson might have lucked into a high-end fashion career but she came by her music honestly. While she credits becoming a model to “amazing good fortune” (discovered by talent scouts at age 16), the now 31-year-old dug deep to master chords and lyrics worthy of PJ Harvey and Mazzy Star. Those artists’ dark, bewitching material first inspired Elson’s “teenage fantasy” of singing professionally and is noticeable on her recent release, The Ghost Who Walks, a debut album decades in the making.

Growing up outside Manchester, England, Elson sidelined music aspirations to work the runway until a close friend’s death in her early 20s forced a shift in priorities. “I couldn’t live my life the same,” she says of the experience. “I had to stop wasting time and stop deviating from what I’m here to do [music]—of course, I had no idea how to do it.”

Elson started by practicing behind closed doors with the occasional studio outing (she provided backup vocals on a Robert Plant tune and collaborated with Cat Power on a Serge Gainsbourg cover). Things took a more serious turn when she joined the Citizens Band, an explosive cabaret troupe that inspired and reaffirmed her deep-seated aspirations.

“I spent so many hours sitting, watching, learning, and trying to absorb as much as I could before going back to my inner world with my 4-track recorder,” she says. In 2005, she and White relocated to Nashville where Elson says music seeps into the skin by osmosis. “It’s everywhere,” she exclaims, pointing to the constant hum of country’s early legends. “Kris Kristofferson, Patsy Cline, and Hank Williams—are on the radio, in a bar, in the air,” she says.

Elson wrote the bulk of The Ghost Who Walks in guarded solitude, from the safe confines of a walk-in closet. It’s there that she worked up the nerve to share her songs with White who suggested they lay down the tracks straight away.

“Jack knows how to get the best performance out of you. Sometimes that means putting you on the spot and scaring you a bit. There’s no, ‘Can we do it tomorrow?’ It's more 'We have to do it now,'” she says. Elson is looking ahead, happy to have cleared one major hurdle. “I’d written so many songs before this record but never showed anybody,” she says. “To get it out in the world is such a huge relief. Jack challenged me—otherwise I may have just kept this all in my head.” –J.G.