Late last night, Jack White surprise-released a new, mostly instrumental song called “Battle Cry.” The song soundtracks a new promo film for Warstic, an independent sporting goods company that White co-owns, having invested last year. (The song is also the “Official Warstic Anthem” now, according to a press release.) Released this morning, the short stars Detroit Tigers’ Ian Kinsler as “The Hitter,” a baseball player whose psyche is haunted by a “shadowy trickster spirit” known as the Raven—aka Jack White. Despite White’s best creepy glare, Kinsler conquers his fears and banishes the Raven as he steps up to the plate. Watch it below, and scroll down to hear “Battle Cry” in full. The film will air before Detroit Tigers’ opening weekend game against Boston Red Sox tomorrow, with “Battle Cry” as Kinsler’s walk-up music.
Third Man will also release “Battle Cry” as a limited edition, one-sided, gold colored vinyl 7” for Record Store Day. A portion of its proceeds will go to The Well for Culture Institute, a Native American charity supported by Warstic.
Watch Pitchfork.tv’s “Liner Notes” documentary on the White Stripes’ White Blood Cells: