Rivalries between musicians have existed for a long time. As competitors in an industry, it seems natural for there to be a sort us vs. them mindset between musicians, but it isn’t any good for the music they create. Fighting between musicians needs to stop.
One of the most publicized feuds of this year is between Jack White and The Black Keys. It all started late last year, when emails between Jack White and his ex-wife Karen Elson were leaked to the press and circulated in tabloids.
In these emails, the public saw White express his feelings that The Black Keys were essentially copying his style of playing.
But moreover, he seemed to be showing a serious disdain for members of The Black Keys.
Now, I don’t really think the public should have ever seen these emails. Just because Jack White is famous doesn’t mean the public should get to read all of his emails.
When asked about it in an interview with the Rolling Stone, however, he didn’t shy away from reiterating this, saying “There are kids at school who dress like everybody else, because they don’t know what to do, and there are musicians like that, too. I’ll hear TV commercials where the music’s ripping off sounds of mine, to the point I think it’s me. Half the time, it’s the Black Keys.”
Since then, The Black Keys have talked about how they are “embarrassed” for Jack White, which makes them look sympathetic and therefore look good in the public eye.
White has issued apologies and publicly wished The Black Keys good luck with their musical endeavors (though they seem somewhat backhanded).
To me, this whole thing seems like a lot of unnecessary steam. I understand the desire to preserve your own artistic integrity, but musicians, maybe more than any other type of artists, develop skills and a musical personality by learning what others before them have done.
Hanging on the wall In Seattle’s EMP museum is Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic’s quote, “Music is an art form that thrives on reinvention.”
No modern music could exist without the music that came before it, and I think many modern musicians, not just Jack White, need to calm down about others liking and using a part of their style.
Music is a celebration of the human ability to sonically communicate, not a battle. With music, at very least, we’re all in this together.
