Jack White's Third Man Moves to Secretly Distribution

Left, Jack White; right, Secretly Group co-founders Phil Waldorf, Daris Van Arman, Ben Swanson and Chris Swanson

Jack White's Third Man Records will be distributed worldwide by Secretly Distribution as part of a new deal struck between the Midwest-based companies.

Secretly will take over physical and digital music distribution, digital and retail marketing and technological support for all upcoming releases from Third Man, which was previously distributed by The Orchard. They include just-announced albums from Snõõper and The Belair Lip Bombs.

“As two fiercely independent, artist-first companies, our shared values and ethos make this partnership a perfect fit," said Secretly Associate Director of Artist and Label Strategy Rich Thane.

"We have so much respect for their work," added Third Man co-founder Ben Swank. "They lead creatively, with artists’ and labels’ vision at the forefront."

An offshoot of the Secretly Canadian label founded by brothers Chris and Ben Swanson and two friends in a Bloomington, Indiana, college dorm room in 1996, Secretly Distribution boasts a roster that includes Dead Oceans, Jagjaguwar, Numero Group, A24 Music, Merge Records, Rhymesayers, Jazz Is Dead and the late John Prine's Oh Boy Records.

Operating simultaneously in Nashville, Detroit and London, Third Man has released music by everyone from Loretta Lynn and Neil Young to Captain Beefheart and Bob Seger System. Many of White's recording projects, from The White Stripes and The Raconteurs to his solo work, are available through the company on vinyl.

As for HITS, armies much smaller than seven nations continue to hold us back.