The Dead Weather

The Dead Weather are a side project organized by White Stripes frontman Jack White and Kills vocalist Alison Mosshart. Because the two leaders’ primary bands specialize in stripped-down blues and garage-rock, it’s little surprise that the Dead Weather also stay close to those genres, although this project does allow White and Mosshart to be more adventurous than they perhaps would be in their own groups. Though people think of the Dead Weather as primarily Jack White’s band, Mosshart provides the bulk of the lyrics and is the frontwoman for the group.The Dead Weather came together almost by accident. The Raconteurs, Jack White’s other side project, were touring near the end of 2008, supported by the Kills. Because White was ailing, he asked Alison Mosshart if she would help out on vocals at some of the shows. This onstage collaboration led to White and Mosshart, along with Raconteurs bassist Jack Lawrence and Queens of the Stone Age member Dean Fertita, deciding to record an album together. Mosshart would be the lead singer, while White would drum and provide backing vocals.Horehound, the Dead Weather’s debut album, was recorded over three weeks in White’s brand-new Nashville studio. Horehound hit stores on July 14, 2009, preceded by the first single, a snarling guitar rocker called “Hang You From the Heavens.” Critics noted that Horehound had a darker, more menacing sound than either the Raconteurs or the White Stripes, suggesting Mosshart’s influence on the project. The Dead Weather set out on a tour that began a day before the album’s release.Dean Fertita – guitar, keyboards
Jack Lawrence – bass
Alison Mosshart – vocals, guitar
Jack White – drums, vocals

Essential Dead Weather Songs:

“Hang You From the Heavens” (Purchase/Download)
“Treat Me Like Your Mother” (Purchase/Download)

Dead Weather Discography:

Horehound (2009)
Alison Mosshart, on how the Dead Weather formed at the end of the Raconteurs and Kills’ tour.
“We played a lot of pool and drank a lot of scotch and, I don’t know, I just got on the bus! Jack was like, ‘Come to [Nashville], we’ll record something, I’ve got this new studio.’ I just didn’t want to say goodbye to everybody yet.” (Spin, June 2009)

Jack White, explaining Horehound’s raw sound.
“We’re in the age of Pro Tools: fixing things, auto-tuning, removing mistakes or tiny little clicking sounds and any extraneous noise or tape hiss ... I think all of that stuff is soul to me. That’s the good stuff. The big mistake, right now, is eliminating that stuff.” (The National Post, June 15, 2009)

Jack White, on the similarities between the White Stripes and the Kills informing the sound of the Dead Weather.
“I think we’re like from different households but we live in the same neighborhood.” (Clash, Summer 2009)

Jack White, discussing the Dead Weather’s song “I Cut Like a Buffalo.”
“It just feels like I’m being the most truthful I’ve ever been with myself ... I’m just obsessed with this song, but I’m scared to listen to it at the same time.” (Spin, June 2009)

Dead Weather Trivia:

• Horehound contains a cover of Bob Dylan’s “New Pony.”
• During the fateful tour that inspired the formation of the Dead Weather, the Kills had their tour bus stolen.