The Dead Weather is an American alternative rock band that formed in Nashville, Tennessee in October, 2008. The band features vocalist Alison Mosshart (of The Kills), guitarist Dean Fertita (of Queens of the Stone Age), bassist Jack Lawrence (of The Raconteurs and The Greenhornes) and drummer/vocalist Jack White (of The White Stripes and The Raconteurs).

The initial spark of The Dead Weather came in October 2008, with Jack White's suggestion to record a 7-inch when his touring band The Raconteurs had a spare day in Nashville. The group consisted of Jack White and Jack Lawrence (from The Raconteurs) collaborating with Alison Mossart (on tour at the time with The Raconteurs) and Dean Fertita (who happened to be spending the night in one of the rooms of White's house). Recording four to five track in a single day, the grouped booked a 15 day recording session in October 2008, which would shape their debut album 'Horehound'. The album was completed in February 2009.

Jack White officially announced the formation of The Dead Weather on March 11, 2009 at the 'Third Man Records' office in Nashville. The band performed live for the first time at the event, before immediately releasing their debut single 'Hang You from the Heavens' on March 11, 2009.

The Dead Weather followed with the release of full-length album 'Horehound' in July, 2009, featuring singles 'Hang You From The Heavens', 'Treat Me Like Your Mother' and 'I Cut Like A Buffalo'.

The band's second album 'Sea of Cowards' was released in May 2010, with lead single 'Die By the Drop'.

The Dead Weather are:

Alison Mosshart ~ vocals, guitar
Dean Fertita ~ guitar, organ, electric piano, synthesizer
Jack Lawrence ~ bass, drums
Jack White ~ drums, vocals, guitar

Comment

Alison Mosshart (born November 23, 1978) began her foray into music at the age of thirteen, while still attending Junior High School. She began singing in a punk band called Discount in her home state of Florida, USA. On the back of moderate success the band toured England, resulting in Mosshart (aged fourteen) meeting Jamie Hince as the band struggled to find accommodation. Mosshart looked up to Jamie Hince, expressing her interest in writing songs and collaborating. Hince lent her a four track recorder, which she took with her on the remainder of the London tour. Mosshart seized the opportunity to mix approximately 20 tapes of music, which she would later present to Hince.

Mosshart began to show disinterest in Discount, feeling that the band restricted her to writing words for other people's songs. Discount broke up in 2000, and in same year Alison Mosshart and Jamie Hince formed their band 'The Kills'. The group's initial thoughts were to incorporate more members, but decided in favour of maintaining the dynamic that Mosshart and Hince shared as a duo. Mosshart played guitar and wrote songs with Hince, with their live show consisting of both Jamie Hince and Alison Mosshart on guitars and a drum machine backing track. Mosshart provides the majority of vocals with Jamie contributing on select songs.

Alison Mosshart and Jamie Hince adopted stage names with the formation The Kills, disassociating themselves from previous work. The name Mosshart is most likely a combination of fashion model / friend, Kate Moss (who is also dating band-mate Jamie Hince) and Captain Beefheart, a favourite musician of hers.

The Kills gained great success and critical appraise in the UK music scene and abroad. In the early days The Kills were reluctant with the press, rarely granting interviews. Mosshart has expressed disillusionment with the music industry in general, saying "There's very little soul or art left in it. Real artists are seen as a total risk, because they can't be moulded. I try to keep out of it, mentally and emotionally, as much as I can." [1]

With the success of The Kills came comparisons to The White Stripes, a comparison Mosshart disapproved of. "It can't even offend me because it's so far away. Also, we're friends with them and we really like their band but we're coming from two different places. I think the only thing that they see is that it's two people in a band, a boy and a girl. I think the brain stops there." [2]

The Kills recorded their debut album 'Keep On Your Mean Side' at Toe Rag Studios in London, where the White Stripes had recorded their album Elephant. The recording process took only 2 weeks, utilising an 8-track recorder. 'Keep On Your Mean Side' saw release in April of 2003.

The Kills followed the album up with 'No Wow' in 2005. The album brought more success to the band, showcasing singles 'Love Is A Deserter' and 'The Good Ones'. 'The Good Ones' proved to be their first charting single, reaching number 23 in the UK Singles.

The Kills played a month of tour dates supporting Jack White's high profile band The Raconteurs in August 2006. The dates saw Mosshart on tour with future bandmates Jack White, Jack Lawrence and Dean Fertita.

The group's third album launched in March of 2008, boasting singles 'URA Fever', 'Cheap and Cheerful' and 'Last Day of Magic'. The album became The Kills most successful release so far, peaking at number 47 in the UK and charting highly across Europe. The inclusion of 'Sour Cherry' on US drama series 'Gossip Girl' made the song a cult hit. Mosshart has expressed great admiration of the TV show, stating "I love that show. I have friends on that show." [3]

Alison Mosshart's collaboration with Jack White began in September 2008, when White's band 'The Raconteurs' were having a troubled US tour. White had suffered a slipped disc and a severe case of bronchitis that hindered his voice. The band's setlist was changed to feature heavily on Brendan Benson's songs, resulting in the exclusion of fan favourites. To try to resolve the issue, the band invited Alison Mosshart to assist on the vocals of White's songs. Mosshart sung on the crowd favourites 'Steady As She Goes' and 'Solute Your Solutions'. White later commented that the experience re-energised the tour. Jack White suggested the recording of a 7-inch to Mosshart during a spare day in the tour, and the pair entered the studio with Jack Lawrence and Dean Fertita. The recording session resulted in four to five tracks being recorded, and marked the beginning of The Dead Weather.

Written by Ryan Mallen, July 13, 2009

[1] http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/music-magazine/music-magazine-features/music-me/music-amp-me-alison-mosshart-of-the-kills-860344.html "Music & Me: Alison Mosshart of The Kills" by Charlotte Cripps

[2] http://www.popmatters.com/music/interviews/kills-050525.shtml "Get Back to the Chaos with the Kills" by Andrew Phillips

[3] http://www.interviewmagazine.com/music/alison-mosshart/3/ "Alison Mosshart" by Derek Blasberg

Comment

Jack White (born John Anthony Gillis, July 9, 1975), was the youngest of ten children (seven sons, three daughters) with a Polish and Scottish bloodline. Given the name John, he was better known as Jack to his family and friends. Jack never felt spoilt by the attention of a large family, saying that being the youngest had the drawback of no younger siblings to offload to. Jack's parents were devout Catholics, his father working at the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit, where Jack served as an altar boy. He was sometimes required to wear a black and white robe, with red reserved for special occasions. These colours would eventually play an intricate role in his band The White Stripes. Jack spent his teenage years listening to blues and 1960s rock, and cited Son House and Blind Willie McTell as his early influences. Jack humorously suggested that his goal in playing music was to make teenage girls sing along to Son House lyrics.

Jack had early aspirations to be either a priest or a marine, after being told by a teacher that in older times the first-born son would take on the trade of their father, the second-born would join the military and the third would become a priest. He settled upon becoming an upholsterer, repairing worn furniture. Jack began a three year apprenticeship with family friend Brian Muldoon, who encouraged Jack's musical inclinations, saying "You're going to take this music somewhere." [1]. Jack appreciated his politeness, but thought the statement was ridiculous. After working in various shops, Jack White started his own business called 'Third Man Upholstery', with Jack the only employee. The colour scheme of the business was black and yellow, a scheme now adopted by his band The Dead Weather. Jack briefly attended a film class at a college in Detroit, where his teacher pointed out hidden detail in the opening scene of the film 'The Graduate'. Inspired by this, Jack began to include lines of poetry on the back of sofas he worked on, in the hope future upholsterers would discover them.

Jack met Megan Martha White (born December 10, 1974) at the 'Memphis Smoke' bar in Detroit. Megan (Meg) worked as a 'Memphis Smoke' bartender at the time. The pair married in 1996, Gillis taking Meg White's last name in a reversal of common practice. Jack was performing in two other bands when he started The White Stripes with Meg White. Jack brought Meg in to drum on a cover of 'Moonage Daydream' by David Bowie and 'Screwdriver', the first song written by the duo (inspired by a red screwdriver sitting on the table). By 1997, Jack was looking to put a name on the band's first single. He came upon a George Washington quote describing the elements of the American flag, the quote reading 'The white stripes shall go down to posterity representing liberty'. The band became known as The White Stripes.

Jack and Meg built the band on the concept of keeping things as simple as possible, with no inclinations to add more members or use sounds they couldn't reproduce live. Jack was particularly fond of the number three, with the band incorporating three colours in their visual style (red, white and black) and three musical elements; guitar, vocals and drums, or alternatively piano, vocals and drums. Jack also appreciated the red, white and black attire as it did not draw focus away from the music while at the same time presenting a unique style. The duo chose to introduce themselves as a brother and sister group to project a family bond that can never be broken. The story also helped the band avoid the questioning "What's it like being in a band with your ex-partner?". The brother and sister facade was convincing enough to fool both media and fans, helped by their reluctance to be interviewed and condition that interviewers could not ask personal questions. Eventually, legal papers were published by the Detroit Free Press proving the pair were married on September 21, 1996 and divorced on March 24, 2000. Jack now openly admits that the duo deceived the public, and said in an interview "My favourite thing that's been said about us was that The White Stripes are the most real and most fake band in the world". [2]

The White Stripes recorded their first album, self-titled in 1999. Jack is extremely proud of the album, and has expressed that subsequent The White Stripes record didn't stack up in his opinion; contrary to what critics said. The album was an underground success, and The White Stripes gained respect and admiration in their city of Detroit. The band's recording style was very frantic, recording in less than two weeks and entering the studio with underworked and unfinished songs. Likewise, the band maintains they've never written a setlist for a live performance, preferring their concerts to be vastly different. Meg White commented that the unplanned nature of their live shows keeps them on their toes.

The band released their second album on June 20, 2000. The album was titled 'De Stijl', a Dutch phrase meaning "The Style". 'De Stijl' also represented a Dutch artistic movement beginning in 1917, featuring simplistic design such as vertical and horizontal directions, squares, rectangles, and black, white and primary colours. The movement is befitting of The White Stripes minimalist approach. The album generated more attention for the duo, including the admiration of the UK press. Influential BBC radio presenter John Peel was quoted as comparing their importance to Jimi Hendrix and the Sex Pistols. The attention also resulted in a small backlash among their Detroit peers. White expressed he struggled to please the Detroit scene, with someone always trying to writing a book without their permission, sell photos, sue them or wanting to put them in jail.

Upon releasing 'White Blood Cells' on July 3, 2001, the band became the focus of music press around the world, and was heralded as the next big thing. With the success of UK band The Strokes only months earlier, attention shifted to bands with the back-to-basics rock sound. 'White Blood Cells' delivered a mix of raw guitar riffs, unpolished production and edgy songwriting. The album showcased a collection of blues, folk and country influenced songs that not only fit, but moulded the emerging trend. When the press struggled to give the sub-genre a name, Jack simply described it as 'garage rock' - a term that was frequently used by bands in Detroit music scene, but had not been widely spoken of since the 1970s. Bands such as The Hives and The Von Bondies also garnered attention from the media, as garage rock became the most exciting trend since the grunge explosion of the mid-nineties. Jack described it as the world waking up to music that had always been there, yet largely ignored. Jack White also expressed doubt in the attention lasting. While grateful that the duo could get press, Jack said bands like The White Stripes don't write top-40 hits.

In support of 'White Blood Cells', The White Stripes toured the USA, Canada, UK and Australia in 2003 and found themselves with more opportunities than ever before. Positive reviews and word-of-mouth saw their reputation grow rapidly, including Q magazine naming The White Stripes one of the "50 Bands to See Before You Die". [3]

A new album followed on April 1, 2003, recorded in under two weeks. 'Elephant' followed in the success of 'White Blood Cells', and become an instant hit. The leading single 'Seven Nation Army' reached levels of popularity that bordered on mainstream, a song that was partly written during a soundcheck in Austrlia. At the time Jack White referred to it as his 'James Bond' song, saying that if he was ever asked to record a James Bond theme, he would use that opening riff. 'Elephant' remains The White Stripes' highest selling album and received critical acclaim, including the band's first Grammy for 'Best Alternative Album'.

2003 saw Jack White take a small role in the Anthony Minghella film Cold Mountain, alongside Nicole Kidman and Renee Zellweger. The film received positive reviews and was nominated for seven Academy Awards (Renee Zellweger winning Best Actress in a Supporting Role). However, Jack appeared rudimentary in the limited screen time given to his character. After meeting Renee on set, Jack white and Renee Zellweger dated for two years, breaking up due to their hectic schedules. Reports suggested it was difficult for the two to find time together.

Jack White spent the early part of 2004 producing an album of new material from country music icon Loretta Lynn. Jack White was a long-time fan of Lynn, and provided instrumentation on the new album, titled, 'Van Lear Rose', along with The Greenhornes members Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler. Jack also contributed backing vocals and a duet on the song 'Portland Oregon'. Released April 27, 2004, the album was a success among critics and recieved two awards at the 2005 Grammy Awards.

The band released 'Get Behind Me Satan' on June 7, 2005. The title serves as a command from Jack to put restricting forces behind him. 'Satan' partly represented his bitter experience with the Detroit music scene, the negative press he'd received and difficult events in his life, such as a fight with The Von Bondies' lead singer Jason Stollsteimer (which had Jack in anger-management classes). The 2005 album was somewhat of a success, though Jack White recalls it was a difficult time for the band. The White Stripes won the Grammy for 'Best Alternative Album' again, but the album failed to generate the same buzz as their previous effort 'Elephant'.

Jack White met UK model Karen Elson (twin sister of Kate Elson) after casting her in the video for Get Behind Me Satan's single 'Blue Orchid'. Jack said the attraction was instant and it wasn't Jack that seduced her, but the other way around. Jack White married Karen Elson on June 1, 2005 in Brazil. The ceremony took place on a rowboat in the Amazon River, officiated by a shaman, with Meg White serving as the Maid of Honour. On May 2nd, 2006, Karen Elson and Jack White shared their first child, a daughter named Scarlett Teresa White. The name Scarlett was an appropriate choice for Jack as the word 'scarlet' describes a shade of red.

By November 2005, Jack had written a song for a Coca-Cola advert. Initially the corporation wanted to use his song 'We Are Going To Be Friends', but Jack suggested he could write a more suitable song. Jack confirmed his involvement by saying "I've been offered the opportunity to write a song in a way which interests me as a songwriter. I certainly wouldn't want a song that I'd already written to be used on a commercial. That seems strange." Jack reported that when presenting his song 'Love Is The Truth' Coca-Cola weren't happy with it, but the song remained unchanged when the advert aired.

Jack White collaborated with Detroit solo artist Brendan Benson in 2005 to form all-male band The Raconteurs. Jack had spoken highly of Benson's albums in interviews, and enlisted the help of Ohio band The Greenhornes' Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler. The Raconteurs quickly recorded their debut album 'Broken Boy Soldiers' as Jack wanted the recording to be spontaneous without allowing time to overwork the songs. 'Broken Boy Soldiers' saw release on May 16, 2006. By August of 2006 Jack was adamant about leaving Detroit and auctioned his Detroit mansion to move to Nashville, Tennessee. Jack had longed to live in the south ever since watching the Loretta Lynn bio-pic 'Coal Miner's Daughter', explaining that "It just felt like home." [1]

After touring the UK, US and Canada with The Raconteurs, Jack and Meg re-entered the studio to record 'Icky Thump' in 2007. The title refers to the Northern England phrase "Ecky Thump", which roughly translates to "Oh my god!". Jack first heard the phrase spoken by wife Karen Elson, mishearing "Icky Thump" because of her accent. She was quick to correct him, however Jack preferred the word "Icky" and stuck with it. The album clocked in the most studio time for White Stripes thus far, taking three weeks to complete. Jack stated that the band wasn't any less productive; instead it was the result of being constantly interrupted with tasks that took him away from the studio. The band still began the recording process with songs half-written, and some missing lyrics entirely. This was the kind of pressure The White Stripes strived on, and songs such as 'Rag and Bone' were recorded with last-minute lyrics, almost to the point of being improvised.

'Icky Thump' was released on June 19, 2007 to high acclaim, again winning the Grammy award for 'Best Alternative Album'. The lead single 'Icky Thump' shared the title of the album, a first for The White Stripes. The song was fresh and innovative, featuring the unconventional sounds of a Univox synthesizer to create frantic solos. The band sought to embark on another long tour, but didn't account for the drain they felt from relentless recording, touring and commitments to the press. They halted the tour after only a select number of shows, cancelling a month's worth of dates. The band citied Meg White's acute anxiety and stress as the reason for the cancellation. Rumours spread about the band breaking up, however Jack has since reassured fans The White Stripes are still together and has been recording new material for an upcoming album. 2007 also saw Jack White and Karen Elson welcome their second child, Henry Lee White, born August 7.

After the recording of 'Icky Thump', Jack White immediately went into the studio with band The Raconteurs to record their follow up to 2006's 'Broken Boy Soldiers'. The release of the group's second album 'Consolers of the Lonely' was held off until March 25, 2008. The Raconteurs toured extensively for the album, playing festival shows in Scotland, Poland, the United Kingdom and several shows in the United States. The US tour experienced difficulty in September, 2008 when Jack White suffered a slipped disc and a severe case of bronchitis. With Jack White's voice hindered, the band changed the setlist to feature heavily on Brendan Benson's songs. Displeased with this, Jack White brought in musician Alison Mosshart of band The Kills (a duo that supported The Raconteurs on their 2006 tour). Mosshart performed vocals on Jack White's songs with The Raconteurs, and Jack later commented that her presence re-energised the tour. With Mosshart in Nashville, Jack suggested the recording of a 7-inch single during a spare day of their schedule. Jack White and Alison Mosshart entered the studio with Dean Fertita and Jack Lawrence, recording four to five songs in a single day. The session marked the beginning of band The Dead Weather.

Written by Ryan Mallen, July 16, 2009

[1] http://www.whitestripes.com/lo-fi/PDFs/2007_Mojo.pdf "The Mojo Interview" by Andrew Male
[2] http://www.whitestripes.com/lo-fi/PDFs/2007_Telegraph.pdf "Detroit Spinners" by Ben Thompson
[3] http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/qlistspage2.html "A Selection of Lists from Q Magazine"

Comment

Dean Fertita (born September 6, 1970) is an accomplished songwriter, singer, guitarist, keyboardist and percussionist. Born in Detroit, Fertita formed the band The Waxwings in 1997. The band played the Detroit music scene at the same time as upcoming bands The White Stripes and The Von Bondies.

Fertita met Bob Salerno (head of Chicago's 'Bobsled Records') when Salerno visited Detroit to sign upcoming bands. Fertita suggested local bands The Go and The White Stripes, but did not mention his own group The Waxwings. Months later Salerno contacted Fertita expressing interest in The Waxwings. The Waxwings signed to Bobsled Records and began work on their debut album, 'Low to the Ground', released in May 2000.

With positive reviews, the band toured in support of 'Low to the Ground' for fifteen months. The Waxwings received affirmation from 'The White Stripes' when White performed a live cover of the The Waxwings' 'Fragile Girl'.

The Waxwings released their follow-up album 'Shadows Of...' in July 2002. Tension between the band and their label grew when Bob Salerno wrote an angry letter after witnessing what he believed was a poor performance at their CD release party. The band separated from the label soon after, although 'Bobsled Records' maintained rights to their third album. Around this time the band also lost guitarist Dominic Roman, who married and left the band.

Fertita, who had attended High School with Brendan Benson, had Benson fill the role of The Waxwings' temporary guitarist, and Fertita played guitar for Benson's band when scheduling allowed. The Waxwings recorded their third album 'Let's Make Our Descent' with Benson, releasing it in on August 13, 2004.

Dean Fertita played with band The Raconteurs in 2006 on their 'Broken Boy Soldiers' tour. The Raconteurs' formed in 2005, with a line up comprising of Brendan Benson, Jack White, Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler. Dean Fertita is also credited for playing clavinet on their 2008 release 'Consolers of the Lonely'.

In 2007, Dean Fertita joined 'Queens of the Stone Age' as the keyboardist for their sixth record, Era Vulgaris, taking the place of Natasha Shneider. 'Queens of the Stone Age' are a successful California based band with multiple line-up changes since its formation in 1997. Fertita initially had feelings of uncertainty, however upon playing with the band, Fertita commented "It was so easy, I felt like I belonged there from the beginning.".[1]

As a long-time friend of Jack White, Dean Fertita found himself staying in a room at White's Nashville house in October 2008 when members of The Raconteurs and Alison Mosshart had a spare day. White proposed the idea of recording a 7-inch single with Dean Fertita, Alison Mosshart, and Jack Lawrence. This recording would lead to the formation of The Dead Weather and recording of their debut album 'Horehound'.

Written by Ryan Mallen, July 14, 2009

[1] http://www.thecoast.ca/halifax/stone-age-keyboardist-dean-fertita-speaks/Content?oid=962824 "Stone Age keyboardist Dean Fertita speaks" by Ian Gormely

Comment

Jack Lawrence, member of bands The Greenhornes and The Raconteurs, primarily plays bass guitar and is a credited songwriter in The Greenhornes and The Dead Weather. Lawrence also plays autoharp and banjo in Detroit alternative country band Blanche. Jack Lawrence is also known as "Little" Jack Lawrence (or Jack LJ Lawrence) to differentiate himself from the late Broadway songwriter of the same name.

Lawrence grew up in Northern Kentucky, gaining reputation with band The Greenhornes in Cincinnati, Ohio. The band began as a five piece, consisting of Jack Lawrence, Patrick Keeler, Craig Fox, Brian Olive and Jared McKinney. The Greenhornes released their first single 'The End of the Night' in 1998 via record label 'Deary Me Records'. Their first album 'Gun For You' followed a year later, and a self titled follow-up was released in 2001. When it came time to record their third album, both Olive and McKinney had left the band. Eric Stein briefly joined, providing guitar and vocals on their 2002 release 'Duel Mono'. Stein departed in 2003, reducing the band to a three piece.

2004 saw Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler work with Jack White (of The White Stripes) on country singer Loretta Lynn's 2004 album 'Van Lear Rose'. The album was diverse in style, featuring the vocals of Jack White. 'Van Lear Rose' received two Grammy awards, Best Country Album and Best Country Collaboration with Vocals for "Portland, Oregon" a duet sung by Loretta Lynn and Jack White.

Brendan Benson worked as producer on The Greenhornes 2005 EP 'East Grand Blues'. By 2006, Jack White and Brendan Benson, eager to work together, enlisted Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler to complete the line-up of their new project 'The Raconteurs'. The Raconteurs released 2006's 'Broken Boy Soldiers' and 2008's 'Consolers of the Lonely' with Lawrence on bass guitar, banjo and back-up vocals. The band toured extensively in support of both albums.

Lawrence once again found himself sought after by Jack White, when 'The Raconteurs' were in Nashville in October 2008. Lawrence played bass on the first recording of 'The Dead Weather', cementing his place in the band for the upcoming recording of LP 'Horehound'.

Written by Ryan Mallen, July 14, 2009

Comment