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The White Stripes is an American rock music duo from Detroit, Michigan, consisting of Jack White (principal songwriter, vocals, guitar, piano) and Meg White (drums, percussion, vocals). The group rose to prominence as part of the garage rock revival with their successful albums White Blood Cells and Elephant. The White Stripes are known for their raw, low-fidelity sound and simplicity of composition and arrangement, mostly inspired by punk rock, hard rock, American blues, folk rock, and country music. July 14, 2007, marked their tenth anniversary as a band, with a show held at the Savoy Theatre in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, selling out in twelve minutes.
The White Stripes formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1997, first performing publicly on July 14. (See 1997 in music.) The duo began receiving more attention after Jack White's unceremonious exit from the Detroit garage-rock band The Go in 1999. For years, it was reported that Jack and Meg were brother and sister, but it was later shown that the Whites are a divorced couple. Jack has described their eponymous debut album (1999) as "really angry ... the most raw, the most powerful, and the most Detroit-sounding record we've made."
Their second release, De Stijl (2000), was named after the De Stijl (The Style) Dutch art movement, which they cited as a source for the approach to their musical image. De Stijl art is on the album cover. The work was recorded on an 8-track analog tape in Jack's living room; he said that, because of the many interruptions during the recording, he would never use that technique again.
The White Stripes are famous for having only two musicians, which limits the instruments played live. Jack, the principal writer, has said this has not been a problem, and that he "always centered the band around the number three. Everything was vocals, guitar and drums or vocals, piano and drums." While Jack is the lead singer, Meg does sing lead vocals on four of the band's songs: "In the Cold, Cold Night" (from Elephant), "Passive Manipulation" (from Get Behind Me Satan), "Who's a Big Baby?" (released on the "Blue Orchid" single), and "St. Andrew (This Battle is in the Air)" (from Icky Thump).
Early on, the band drew attention for their preference for antiquated recording equipment. The album Elephant was recorded on an eight-track machine that dated from the early 1960s. With few exceptions, Jack White has shown a continued partiality towards amps and pedals from the 1960s.
Jack uses a number of effects to create his sound, notably a Digitech whammy pedal to reach pitches that would otherwise not be possible with a regular guitar. For instance, without the pedal, "Seven Nation Army" would require a bass guitar and "Black Math" would be very difficult to play without a 29th fret (which does not exist on most guitars) on the highest string.
The guitars Jack White uses live are a 1964 JB Hutto Montgomery Airline, a Harmony Rocket, a 1970s Crestwood Astral II, and a 1950s Kay Hollowbody. He has also been seen playing various Gretches including a White Penguin with The Raconteurs. In concert with the Digitech whammy pedal, MXR Micro-Amp, Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi Distortion/Sustainer (now custom modified), and Electro-Harmonix POG (Polyphonic octave generator), White can produce a very distinctive sound. He also uses a Boss TU-2 tuner pedal. He plugs this setup into a 1970s Fender Twin Reverb and two 100-Watt Sears Silvertone 6x10 combo amplifiers.
White also plays other instruments such as a black F-Style Gibson mandolin, Rhodes bass keys, and a Steinway piano. He is currently using a Moog Little Phatty synthesizer. Jack plays a custom-made red and white marimba on "The Nurse", "Forever for Her (Is Over for Me)" as well as on the non-album tracks "Who's A Big Baby" and "Top Special". (This marimba was dumped over in Japan, at the last concert for the Get Behind Me Satan tour.)
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