White Mystery

White Mystery: DIY music heroes
Miss Alex White and Francis Scott Key White are the unofficial fairy godparents of Chicago’s local music scene.
June 24, 2013
By: Leah Pickett

(Diane Alexander White)
Photo courtesy of White Mystery.

Brother-sister duo White Mystery first came to mass attention in 2011 with their critically acclaimed, MTV-touted sophomore album Blood and Venom, and their brand of red hot rock'n'roll has been on fire ever since. In the tradition of releasing new music each year on their band anniversary of 4/20, Chicago natives Miss Alex White and Francis Scott Key White dropped their third full-length album—the ferocious Telepathic— on April 20, 2013.

Now, White Mystery is home after a sweeping world tour and set to play several shows in Chicago over the next few months, including Riot Fest in September. I sat down with the redheaded siblings at Township last week to discuss the band's undeniable influence on Chicago's local music scene, and how the entrepreneurial duo managed to garner a worldwide following by staying true to their roots:

I've spoken to many young bands in Chicago who look up to you as mentors. Do you feel a responsibility to help out others who have been in your shoes?

Alex White: The whole rock'n'roll, punk and beyond music community that is underground and DIY thrives because of these kinds of relationships. White Mystery wouldn't be where it is now without the help of people who have mentored me and encouraged me to pursue music as a young person, like "Why aren't you doing this professionally?" and I'm thinking to myself "Do you really think that I can do that?" It was their encouragement that really helped me down that path.

When you were starting out as a band, who helped you the most?

AW: There is a person that comes to mind immediately. His name is Paul Natkin [iconic photographer for Creem and Rolling Stone]. He's also a native Chicagoaon: we grew up in the same North Side neighborhood, he went to the same high school as Francis and he was friends with our mom in the '70s [Diane Alexander White, also a photographer].

A few years ago, the city was cutting down on live music by putting more restrictions on permits required to host shows. Paul was the champion for live music during this time. He's introduced me to a lot of amazing people; he's a connector. There's a great book by Malcolm Gladwell called The Tipping Point that talks about the different types of people in the world, and the connectors are the people who can just look around the room and know who to bring together.

Paul connected us to Nathan Christ, a videographer who went on to produce our first music video [for the Blood and Venom single "Birthday]. He did it for free. That's a super DIY video— we shot it a novelty golf place near our house, a cemetery near our house—but it made it's way on to the top five videos on MTV.

Are you often asked how you manage to do everything yourselves and be so successful?

AW: White Mystery is a totally independent entity. We don't have a record label. We do our own booking and licensing; we own everything and release everything ourselves. So, bands often ask us "How do you do that? How does that work?" Both of our parents are self-employed, so we grew up knowing how to be self-sufficient and not relying on a fixed paycheck—and being willing to take risks.

What advice would you give to other bands building connections in the DIY community?

AW: Following up is the key to success. Also, you don't have to be old to be a mentor. You can be a peer to someone and still offer questions. The Socrates method of mentorship is not telling someone what to do, but allowing them to follow their own path. A band could make the exact same decisions we did and still be somewhere else. I think it's important to take a questions approach to guiding someone, because then they're making their own decisions and taking accountability for whether or not they become successful.

Francis Scott Key White: We also like to set examples with our actions. The smart people catch on, and the others just do their own thing. If you see someone do something, it becomes possible.

AW: There is a lot of power in willing things to happen. If you can visualize it, then that's half the battle—you're almost there. And when you accumulate these successes, write them down; so that when you get really upset or hit rock bottom, you can review the goals that you have achieved and keep going.

Have you observed any misconceptions about being an independent artist that you want to clear up for those who are hesitant to break into the scene?

AW: There's a stigma that musicians and artists lead a starving lifestyle, and I think that's a very unfair stereotype that discourages a lot of creative people. It's impor - WBEZ 91.5FM

White Mystery: DIY music heroes
Miss Alex White and Francis Scott Key White are the unofficial fairy godparents of Chicago’s local music scene.
June 24, 2013
By: Leah Pickett

(Diane Alexander White)
Photo courtesy of White Mystery.

Brother-sister duo White Mystery first came to mass attention in 2011 with their critically acclaimed, MTV-touted sophomore album Blood and Venom, and their brand of red hot rock'n'roll has been on fire ever since. In the tradition of releasing new music each year on their band anniversary of 4/20, Chicago natives Miss Alex White and Francis Scott Key White dropped their third full-length album—the ferocious Telepathic— on April 20, 2013.

Now, White Mystery is home after a sweeping world tour and set to play several shows in Chicago over the next few months, including Riot Fest in September. I sat down with the redheaded siblings at Township last week to discuss the band's undeniable influence on Chicago's local music scene, and how the entrepreneurial duo managed to garner a worldwide following by staying true to their roots:

I've spoken to many young bands in Chicago who look up to you as mentors. Do you feel a responsibility to help out others who have been in your shoes?

Alex White: The whole rock'n'roll, punk and beyond music community that is underground and DIY thrives because of these kinds of relationships. White Mystery wouldn't be where it is now without the help of people who have mentored me and encouraged me to pursue music as a young person, like "Why aren't you doing this professionally?" and I'm thinking to myself "Do you really think that I can do that?" It was their encouragement that really helped me down that path.

When you were starting out as a band, who helped you the most?

AW: There is a person that comes to mind immediately. His name is Paul Natkin [iconic photographer for Creem and Rolling Stone]. He's also a native Chicagoaon: we grew up in the same North Side neighborhood, he went to the same high school as Francis and he was friends with our mom in the '70s [Diane Alexander White, also a photographer].

A few years ago, the city was cutting down on live music by putting more restrictions on permits required to host shows. Paul was the champion for live music during this time. He's introduced me to a lot of amazing people; he's a connector. There's a great book by Malcolm Gladwell called The Tipping Point that talks about the different types of people in the world, and the connectors are the people who can just look around the room and know who to bring together.

Paul connected us to Nathan Christ, a videographer who went on to produce our first music video [for the Blood and Venom single "Birthday]. He did it for free. That's a super DIY video— we shot it a novelty golf place near our house, a cemetery near our house—but it made it's way on to the top five videos on MTV.

Are you often asked how you manage to do everything yourselves and be so successful?

AW: White Mystery is a totally independent entity. We don't have a record label. We do our own booking and licensing; we own everything and release everything ourselves. So, bands often ask us "How do you do that? How does that work?" Both of our parents are self-employed, so we grew up knowing how to be self-sufficient and not relying on a fixed paycheck—and being willing to take risks.

What advice would you give to other bands building connections in the DIY community?

AW: Following up is the key to success. Also, you don't have to be old to be a mentor. You can be a peer to someone and still offer questions. The Socrates method of mentorship is not telling someone what to do, but allowing them to follow their own path. A band could make the exact same decisions we did and still be somewhere else. I think it's important to take a questions approach to guiding someone, because then they're making their own decisions and taking accountability for whether or not they become successful.

Francis Scott Key White: We also like to set examples with our actions. The smart people catch on, and the others just do their own thing. If you see someone do something, it becomes possible.

AW: There is a lot of power in willing things to happen. If you can visualize it, then that's half the battle—you're almost there. And when you accumulate these successes, write them down; so that when you get really upset or hit rock bottom, you can review the goals that you have achieved and keep going.

Have you observed any misconceptions about being an independent artist that you want to clear up for those who are hesitant to break into the scene?

AW: There's a stigma that musicians and artists lead a starving lifestyle, and I think that's a very unfair stereotype that discourages a lot of creative people. It's impor - WBEZ 91.5FM

"White Mystery rules." - VICE

The real attraction is White Mystery, the new duo forged by Miss Alex White, best known as the guitar-wielding blowtorch in her long-running gig with the Red Orchestra. With drummer Francis White, she reduces her love of soul-fired garage rock to its butt-kicking essence.
- The Chicago Tribune

"I never knew someone could do a backbend while playing the guitar until tonight. White Mystery killed it." - WIRED

All month, Pitchfork.tv has been sharing video from Aitken and the artists involved with Station to Station, including Dan Deacon and No Age. Below, check out more videos from the series. - Pitchfork

There are some great songs about Chicago out there. “Chicago At Night” by Spoon, “Chicago” by Sufjan Stevens (of course), and a whole myriad of material by Wilco. But one of my favorite songs about Chicago is by one of Chicago’s greatest garage rock bands—”Take a Walk” by White Mystery. It’s a song about walking, not driving, around Chicago.

White Mystery is a two-piece ginger-haired garage explosion. On guitar and vocals is Miss Alex White. On drums and vocals is brother Francis White (hey Francis, you should consider calling yourself Brother Francis White). The harmonies are trashy and gorgeous. Alex wails like a blues queen affecting a punk rock drawl. If you’re one of the few fortunate ones to own their Hozac Hookup Klub 7?, you’re extremely lucky.


http://fivetunes.wordpress.com/2009/10/20/white-mystery/ - Five Tunes

There are some great songs about Chicago out there. “Chicago At Night” by Spoon, “Chicago” by Sufjan Stevens (of course), and a whole myriad of material by Wilco. But one of my favorite songs about Chicago is by one of Chicago’s greatest garage rock bands—”Take a Walk” by White Mystery. It’s a song about walking, not driving, around Chicago.

White Mystery is a two-piece ginger-haired garage explosion. On guitar and vocals is Miss Alex White. On drums and vocals is brother Francis White (hey Francis, you should consider calling yourself Brother Francis White). The harmonies are trashy and gorgeous. Alex wails like a blues queen affecting a punk rock drawl. If you’re one of the few fortunate ones to own their Hozac Hookup Klub 7?, you’re extremely lucky.


http://fivetunes.wordpress.com/2009/10/20/white-mystery/ - Five Tunes

Sometimes it seems Hozac can do no wrong, and "Powerglove", the lead-off track on this 7" by White Mystery does an amazing job of blending the lowest, dirtiest garage aesthetic with a raunchy soul feel, all within the simple parameters of a drumset, a guitar, and Alex White's yowls (backed a bit by her brother Francis). By Jeremy Krinsley - Impose

Sometimes it seems Hozac can do no wrong, and "Powerglove", the lead-off track on this 7" by White Mystery does an amazing job of blending the lowest, dirtiest garage aesthetic with a raunchy soul feel, all within the simple parameters of a drumset, a guitar, and Alex White's yowls (backed a bit by her brother Francis). By Jeremy Krinsley - Impose

If you're a fan of stripped down garage rock, loud drums, and/or redheads, meet your perfect match. White Mystery is the two-piece brother/sister duo of Alex and Francis White. Alex is best known as the guitar rockin' front women of Miss Alex White and the Red Orchestra, but with her latest venture with brother Francis, she strips it down to a guitar and heavy-handed drum garage rock sound. The twosome put on an energetic show, and had one of the most killer tambourine and guitar rock outs I've ever seen recently when they appeared in ChicaGoGo. - Gapers Block

"YOU'RE LIKE AN EARTHQUAKE NO, WAIT, THAT WAS MY MISTAKE" This song feels naked, and there's good reason for that -- you have a garage-rock duo here, not unlike The White Stripes -- but this band doesn't overlay guitars on top of guitars. There is a single guitar, a drum kit, and a certain Miss Alex White shout-singing. Alex White was one of the acts that pulled me into garage rock a few years ago, highlighted by the exceptional song Future Talk. She came around this late summer minus the Red Orchestra and gives us a gritty, powerful tune. This song holds such electricity, the interplay between the guitar and the drums is perfect: Like two people on stage having such banter that the audience seems secondary. You are allowed to be there, by the grace of god.

http://eastmeetsleft.com/show/white-mystery-in-chicago-at-the-viaduct/125 - East Meets Left Blog