While the future of the White Stripes appeared to be on uncertain ground, man-of-many-guises Jack White has given fans hope. In an interview with Music Radar, White revealed a new album from the duo “won’t be too far off. Maybe next year.”

The White Stripes made a much-vaunted return to the limelight in February, with a special performance on the final Late Night With Conan O’Brien. Apart from that, though, all has been fairly quiet since Meg White was diagnosed with acute anxiety in 2007. In the Music Radar interview, Jack explains how pressures of intensive touring took its toll on his musical partner.

“Meg had come from a dead-halt for a year and went right back into that madness,” he explains. “Meg is a very shy girl, a very quiet and shy person. To go full-speed from a dead-halt is overwhelming, and we had to take a break.”

Jack White has of course kept up a diligent work ethic away from The White Stripes. The Raconteurs continue to tour, while the man’s new incarnation The Dead Weather (featured in our - œWeird World Of Supergroups’ gallery) take on the festival circuit, including the mammoth Austin City Limits in October.