The Civil Wars
As The Civil Wars, Joy Williams and John Paul White shot from obscure folk singers to heavyweight country-crossover contenders, picking up two Grammys for their debut, Barton Hollow, and collaborating with Taylor Swift for The Hunger Games soundtrack. But last November, the group abruptly canceled all planned tour…
As The Civil Wars, Joy Williams and John Paul White shot from obscure folk singers to heavyweight country-crossover contenders, picking up two Grammys for their debut, Barton Hollow, and collaborating with Taylor Swift for The Hunger Games soundtrack. But last November, the group abruptly canceled all planned tour…
Pressure makes diamonds—or coal dust. For The Civil Wars, the triple Grammy-winners whose stark acoustica shook pop music,…
Pressure makes diamonds—or coal dust. For The Civil Wars, the triple Grammy-winners whose stark acoustica shook pop music,…
With three Grammys on their mantelpiece, The Civil Wars’ slick output has no shortage of admirers. The secrets of their success are obvious: both Joy Williams and John Paul White have expressive voices that harmonise beautifully, and when their muses align they have an instinctive feel for timeless country-soul songwriting (for instance, tumultuous ballad The One That Got Away – made more interesting in light of the duo’s public fall-out last year, which led to tour cancellations citing “internal discord and irreconcilable differences”).
With three Grammys on their mantelpiece, The Civil Wars’ slick output has no shortage of admirers. The secrets of their success are obvious: both Joy Williams and John Paul White have expressive voices that harmonise beautifully, and when their muses align they have an instinctive feel for timeless country-soul songwriting (for instance, tumultuous ballad The One That Got Away – made more interesting in light of the duo’s public fall-out last year, which led to tour cancellations citing “internal discord and irreconcilable differences”).
t's unavoidable that the current separation of Joy Williams and John Paul White (the pair known as the Civil Wars since 2008) will dominate...
t's unavoidable that the current separation of Joy Williams and John Paul White (the pair known as the Civil Wars since 2008) will dominate...
Tense and gothic, The Civil Wars plays out the eponymous duo’s dysfunction with gorgeous aplomb.
Tense and gothic, The Civil Wars plays out the eponymous duo’s dysfunction with gorgeous aplomb.
Despite the undeniable quality of their work, it never sounds like much fun being in The Civil Wars, says Neil McCormick.
Despite the undeniable quality of their work, it never sounds like much fun being in The Civil Wars, says Neil McCormick.
Have personal differences made their music more interesting? CD review by Russ Coffey
Have personal differences made their music more interesting? CD review by Russ Coffey