Karen Elson is not only the wife of The White Stripes’ Jack White – she is also one of the Nashville scene’s most original musical voices, and is currently touring the US with her debut album The Ghost Who Walks.
Whenever a supermodel steps behind a microphone, especially if she is the spouse of one of pop’s key figures, music fans are naturally suspicious of her abilities. In the case of Karen Elson, aka Mrs Jack White and the mother of Jack’s two kids, any such doubts are happily unfounded. Karen’s debut album The Ghost Who Walks, which was released on her husband’s underground imprint Third Man Records on May 25, should be considered among the best records of this summer.
The album, recorded in her home studio in Nashville, Tennessee, can be described as 'bittersweet Southern Gothic', and begins with the spooky but gorgeous title track, which you can watch below, along with other songs in her repertoire.
Karen Elson live at Third Man Records from Karen Elson on Vimeo.
According to Elson, speaking in a recent interview with actress and fellow singer Charlotte Gainsbourg, the album title derives from a nickname given to her in school because of her pale skin and skinny legs.
The 31-year-old, from Manchester, UK, is no music-scene novice, having been one of the founding members of the New York City-based cabaret troupe The Citizens Band, covering songs by Leonard Cohen, Neil Young and Elvis Presley.
Famed for her blazing red hair and turquoise eyes, she has also modelled for Marc Jacobs, Christian Dior, Versace and Burberry, and is the current face of Yves St Laurent’s Opium fragrance.
She fell in love with White while shooting The White Stripes’ Blue Orchid video in 2005. Director Floria Sigismondi spoke about the strong energy between Elson and White, and this was borne out when the pair went on to marry in Manaus, Brazil, that same year (Meg White was the maid of honour) and settle down in the country music capital of Nashville, Tennessee, in the USA.
Fast forward to 2010 and Elson is on the road for a brief seven-city American tour. Her stint began in San Francisco on June 8, and will conclude with a special appearance in New York alongside Grizzly Bear and Band of Horses on June 20.
See more at on Karen at www.karenelson.com
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