Independent Artist Advice:

Jack White is a pioneer of independent music. Part owner of Third Man Records, the Nashville-based indie label is home to a wealth of alternative independent releases. Not least his own solo records. But he’s not just a pioneer of the independent scene. Far from it! “That’s How I’m Feeling,” taken from his latest album, cements his standing and so much more.

Within seconds, swirling feedback precedes authentic-sounding drums, grooving bass, and dawdling guitars. There’s intent, and it reminds me of why I love music. The warmth of the tape, the toe-tapping grooves—it’s just so organic!

Jack White sings over the verse:

“When it’s cold outside
I need the strength to stay alive
And when I’m in my home
I need the strength to be alone”

Without further ado—boom! It transitions from the sublime to the outright gorgeous bluesy onslaught he’s famed for. As he stamps on the pedal, it all comes flooding back. It’s an epiphany. We’re in a world full of amp modelling, guitars trying to emulate synths, and that’s if guitars even appear on records at all. It’s easy to forget how moving the guitar done right actually is. We’ve been deprived! Jack White once again reminds us of what we often need to remember: we love the raw energy of a six-string.

Jack White isn’t just a flag bearer for independence. He’s a flag bearer for old ways of recording, for meticulous tone selection, for loving your craft, for classic songwriting and for guitars! Yet, although the warm sound of familiarity echoes from every tube, it all feels so fresh and new. Rock and roll isn’t dead. It’s alive and well.

“That’s How I’m Feeling” features on the latest Jack White album, No Name. It’s his 6th studio album—some prolific form! Factoring in his work with The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, and The Dead Weather, it’s time to file (if you haven’t already) Jack White in the living legend category.

We can’t escape the polished sheen of music these days. It’s everywhere—in shops, bars, restaurants. “That’s How I’m Feeling” is a countermeasure. Its rawness proves the old ways will never die. And that is how Jack White has got me feeling. Check the full album out now!

Listen here: https://jackwhite.lnk.to/NoName