Drill a Hole in that Substrate and Tell Me What You See

Southern Gothic singer/songwriter Jim White grew up in Pensacola, Florida, enamoured with the sounds of the white gospel music he heard on the Gospel Jubilee television series.

After spending his formative years on the outskirts of a deeply Pentecostal community, he entertained a career as a professional surfer, followed by a stint in Milan as a fashion model. A band-saw accident which resulted in a maimed left hand seemed to end White's hopes as a musician, but after writing a collection of simple songs on his guitar, a friend convinced him to record a demo which ultimately made its way to the offices of David Byrne's Luaka Bop label.

After re-recording the songs, White issued his debut Wrong-Eyed Jesus! — a collection of atmospheric, oddly spiritual country-folk performances — in 1997.

In 2004 White released Drill A Hole In That Substrate And Tell Me What You See, again on Luaka Bop, which featured such eccentric guests as the Barenaked Ladies, Aimee Mann, and Bill Frisell.

"Hugely evocative. A very fine bunch of songs"
- The Guardian (5 stars)

"Simply beautiful. It doesn't sound like anything else out there at the moment"
- Music Week

"Beautiful. No-one makes records like Jim White"
- BBC 6 Music