Jack White Was Supposed to Work With Jay Z and Kanye, Also Hates Texting

Even though Jack White is often viewed as an eternally retro figure in rock 'n' roll, it seems he always has one eye, and ear, on newer music too. For one thing, he thinks Daft Punk are "amazing." And even though plans for collaborations with hip-hop stars Jay Z. and Kanye West have been left on the shelf for the time being, he remains enthusiastic about the new music around him.

"I'm not sure he liked them," White told Rolling Stone about his work with Jay Z. Meanwhile, his appreciation for all things Kanye recently emerged at a concert by the tabloid-attracting rapper and producer. "That might have been the greatest show I've seen in my life," White said. "It was more punk, more in-your-face than anything I've seen."

Apparently, West had approached White about working together on West's 2013 album 'Yeezus,' but nothing ever came of it.

Speaking of live shows, White noted to Rolling Stone in the new interview that audiences have changed drastically over the past few years: "People can't clap anymore, because they've got a f---ing texting thing in their f---ing hand, and probably a drink too. Some musicians don't care about this stuff, but I let the crowd tell me what to do. If they can't give me that energy back? Maybe I'm wasting my time."

White also pointed out that his everyday life irritates him a bit. "I'm very much like Larry David ... complaining about, you know, why they make shoelaces so much longer than they need to be," he said.

The guitar hero's new album, 'Lazaretto,' comes out on June 10. Here's the video for the first song released from it, 'High Ball Stepper':