May 9, 2007 8:00

Jack White denies White Stripes will finish

So what does that mean for Raconteurs' future?

Photo Gallery: The White Stripes

The White Stripes' frontman Jack White has denied that the forthcoming ’Icky Thump’ will be their final album.

Speaking in this week’s NME, the star said he has been surprised that people cannot believe that the duo and his other band The Raconteurs can co-exist.

He said: “We get asked all the time, ‘How long do you guys think it’s gonna last?’ I’d venture to say that in 90 per cent of interviews, someone has asked us ‘Is this the last record?’ It’s almost as if people want us to stop!

“Then The Raconteurs came along and people thought, obviously, we’re done. But then with this new album people are saying The Raconteurs are done. That was a side project! So, next year, when the next Raconteurs album comes out…”

White also said it felt natural reuniting with drummer Meg White following his tenure with his ‘side project’.

He said: “Coming right off The Raconteurs, I just strapped on a guitar and it felt really comfortable, really good. There’s something special about the band that is hard for me to put into words. We gel effortlessly. We’re very fortunate to have that blessing on the music- it doesn’t occur in every position. You can’t buy that stuff. You just gotta be fortunate. We got lucky that way.”

Also in this week’s NME, there’s an exclusive interview with The View, the ultimate review of the Coachella festival, an look at the new Joe Strummer documentary and the A-Z of Phil Spector.

Get NME now...

- at all good news stands in the UK and selected outlets abroad

- instantly to your inbox in new digital magazine form! Save $$$!

- Subscribe to get NME every week and save ! from Wednesday