They didn’t break up, they were just busy.
Jack White and Brendan Benson on how their odd partnership led to the band’s first album since 2008.
There have been numerous (in)famous pairings throughout music history: Mick and Keith.
Credit: David James Swanson
Metallica and Lou Reed.
So how to characterize Jack White and Brendan Benson, of rock quartet the Raconteurs?
Well, according to White, they might just be the oddest of the bunch.
Jason Squires/WireImage
Brendanll say to me, You are just the weirdest guy I know.
Most of the people Ive loved and admired mentors Ive had are people Ive found to be odd.
Not at first glance, but maybe as time goes on.
I find an appeal to their eccentricities.
Their collaboration proved wondrous rather than strange onHelp Us Stranger, the new, long-time-coming Raconteurs record.
It was just timing, we never broke up or anything, explains Benson of the groups decade-long absence.
There wasnt some epiphany.
Right from the get-go it was like, Press record, lets go, were doing this.
However, there was a method to their madness.
Then well move on to our own stuff.
Its an icebreaker; like if youre at a party, and you just bring up the weather.
That spiritual intuition comes through in the dozen tracks offHelp Us Stranger.
Once they recognize me, the conversations over, basically.
Its a shame, because theyre coming with preconceptions, so its kind of ruined.
With the exception of Hey Gyp, White and Benson wrote all ofHelp Us Stranger.
White even harkens back to the Bard for inspiration.
Its almost like written by God herself.
(Per White, Years later, you saw Beyonce doing it, and everyone was flipping out.
Oh, its amazing!
The record just came out of nowhere.
I think all artists would probably rather create and not talk about it, in a perfect world.
It would be as hard for a painter to describe a painting, adds White.
That could be a hundred people.
You never know whats gonna happen.
Youve just gotta go with your gut.
Correction:A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the year Consolers of the Lonely was released.
It was 2008, not 2005.
