Help Us Stranger took so long because Jack White ‘Started doing heroin’

We’ve waited 11 years for a new record from The Raconteurs since their last offering ‘Consolers Of The Lonely’ was released back in 2008. Many thought the Detroit rockers were on an indefinite hiatus. Understandably, Jack White is a busy man. He runs his own very successful record label, Third Man Records, not to mention putting out solo records every few years.

Now, in a new interview with The Irish Times, White has opened up about how their new album, ‘Help Us Strangers’ came together, and why it took so long.


Heroin has long been known as the ‘golden drug’ for musicians, with icons such as The Rolling Stones, The Stranglers, Ozzy Osbourne, Amy Winehouse, and even David Bowie accrediting some of their most famous works to the drug. Jack White has now openly discussed that one of the reasons a new Raconteurs record took so long was due to him starting to use the substance.

He also says that human nature played its part, stating “Why didn’t we record an album five years ago? Well, it just wasn’t the right time – it wasn’t like we were all in a room together staring at each other, saying ‘What the hell? Why aren’t we recording?’”

White continues “I’m always proud when I don’t plan things ahead of time,” says White of his ever-expanding musical universe. “I look back on this pile of records, and every one of those records was not planned; they all happened just by circumstance. That’s what happened this time, too, and it’s a great way to do it. If you were an architect, you couldn’t live like that – but the kind of artist that I’m lucky to be, I’m lucky to run into these things that just happen by chance. And somehow, something beautiful comes out of it . . . hopefully.”