How a lost voice in Memphis sparked the formation of a rock supergroup
In short: When Jack White lost his voice during a Raconteurs show, he recruited Alison Mosshart to cover his parts. That impromptu collaboration evolved into The Dead Weather, a powerhouse collective that prioritized raw, spontaneous creation over polished planning, ultimately redefining the members' roles and pushing them into heavier, blues-infused sonic territory.
The Dead Weather emerged in 2009 from a series of unplanned studio sessions at Third Man Records in Nashville. The group features Alison Mosshart on lead vocals, Jack Lawrence on bass, Dean Fertita on guitar and keyboards, and Jack White on drums. White, who had previously played percussion in his youth and for the band Goober & the Peas, chose to step behind the kit rather than play guitar, viewing the move as a way to avoid creative redundancy.
The band's formation was remarkably fluid. After meeting at the studio in January 2009, the quartet spent two and a half weeks writing and recording songs on the fly. White noted that the process lacked a formal direction, with the group simply recording whatever they could manage each day. This approach defined their debut album, Horehound, which arrived in July 2009 and reached number 6 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and number 14 on the UK Album Charts.
Following their debut, the band maintained an unconventional release schedule. Their second album, Sea of Cowards, arrived in 2010, peaking at number 5 on the Billboard 200. By 2013, the group shifted toward sporadic, project-based recording. They released a series of limited edition 7-inch vinyl records through Third Man Records' subscription service, The Vault, before compiling these tracks into their third studio album, Dodge and Burn, in 2015. These sessions occurred whenever members found the time or inspiration, reflecting the band's commitment to organic, non-linear development.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: The Dead Weather
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