Dave Paulson

dnpaulson@tennessean.com

When Jack White's Third Man Records came to Nashville in 2009, it seemed to sprout up overnight.

All of sudden, the rock giant had a fully conceptualized, intricately designed space — including a label office, record store and live venue — just a few blocks from Broadway in downtown Nashville. By the time it was revealed, the entire operation appeared to be up and running.

But there was one thing the label didn’t want to dive headfirst into: getting involved in Nashville’s local music scene. As the label’s Ben Swank tells it, they didn’t want to disrupt what Music City already had going for it.

“We didn't want to come in and be those guys from out of town that tried to take what other people were doing and make it our thing,” Swank says. “We wanted them to keep having their own life and momentum. But as things have gone on, I think we've changed, and I think we're very much a part of the community now. We've had time to grow and actually prove to people that we're invested in Nashville.”

Jack White's label is going into space

The latest proof arrives on Third Man’s shelves today. The label has just released three new records from Nashville acts: instrumental guitarist William Tyler, experimental trio Coupler and electronic punk fusionists Essential Tremors.

Tyler’s release is a live album, stemming from a 2014 performance in the label’s Blue Room venue. It includes earlier versions of songs from his latest critically hailed album, “Modern Country.” Coupler’s album kicks off a new series from the label, “Blue Room Sessions.”

"We've been wanting to do more of that here, using the Blue Room as a recording studio rather than just a live venue,” Swank says.

The willfully obscure Essential Tremors are a personal favorite of Swank’s. In news that might have hundreds of local bands pulling out their hair, Third Man had to go the extra mile to get ET on its roster. Swank essentially wore down the group’s leader, Code KNR.

“I really pestered him to release (their record) in some way for a while, until he was finally like, 'Yeah, fine! We'll do it,' ” Swank recalls, laughing. “I really think that's how the contract went down.”

On the other end of the spectrum, another Nashville artist signed to Third Man has proved to have widespread appeal. Country singer-songwriter Margo Price released her solo debut on Third Man in March. It cracked the Top 10 of the country album chart, earned glowing reviews and led Price to the stage of “Saturday Night Live.”

13 is a lucky number for Margo Price

Swank says finding another artist to work with in the same way is likely Third Man’s “next move.”

“We're really, really proud with how Margo's gone. We absolutely want to do more stuff with — I don't even know what real labels call it. A&R work? Scouting? Mostly, we just put out stuff we like, you know? We're not out there going, 'Oh, what are all of the labels freaking out about? Let's go check that out.' We just kind of do stuff we like, and those instincts proved correct with Margo.”

In between pressing records, Third Man has found new ways to intersect with Nashville’s creative community. The Blue Room now regularly hosts film screenings, poetry readings and art shows. Last week, the young musicians of the Tennessee Teens Rock Camp had their end-of-camp showcase in the Blue Room — on the same stage Pearl Jam had graced a month before.