Go Inside the White Stripes' Epic 2007 Canadian Tour

When the White Stripes embarked on their epic 2007 tour of Canada — where Jack and Meg pledged to perform in every province, including the isolated northern territory of Nunavut, where mostly indigenous Inuits live — they brought along two hired hands to document the adventure: director Emmett Malloy (who recently released the documentary of the trip, Under Great White Northern Lights) and photographer Autumn de Wilde, who snapped 250 rolls of film during the trip.

De Wilde has edited her massive collection of photos down into a gorgeous new hard-bound book The White Stripes: Under Great White Northern Lights, which has just been published by Chronicle Books. "Editing these photos was a fucking nightmare," says de Wilde with a laugh. "It's really hard to kill your children!" De Wilde, who photographed the cover of the Stripes' 2007 album Icky Thump, had formed a close bond with the band over the years — especially the notoriously shy Meg — and that allowed her to capture some of the most intimate pictures of the Stripes ever documented. Her secret? "If they didn't want me to photograph them I would tell them just to raise their hand," says de Wilde. "I'd say, 'You don't have to explain yourself. You don't have to say you're sorry. If you want to be alone, I'll clear out.' That's the only way you're going to get private moments in photos."

Click to check out a gallery of photos from de Wilde's book:

• The White Stripes: Under Great White Northern Lights

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Song Stories

“Youth Knows No Pain”

Lykke Li | 2011

“Like on 'Youth Knows No Pain' — we are the ones that should demonstrate, because we can take it,” Likke Li said. “We can pierce ourselves, take Ecstasy, dance all night and still go to work at our McDonald's jobs.” Despite the hedonistic sentiment in the song, the Swedish singer also admitted in hindsight her youth had repercussions. “I remember when I was 18-19 and feeling that I know it all,” Li said. “I always feel that I know it all. But that song is about realizing you don’t, and reflecting, ‘Boy, if I only knew what would follow.’”

More Song Stories entries »

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