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The Civil Wars was a critically acclaimed American musical duo composed of Joy Williams and John Paul White. Formed in 2008, the Civil Wars won four Grammmy Awards prior to their 2014 breakup.[1][2]

History

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2008 - 2010

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Both Williams and White had solo careers prior to meeting at a songwriting workshop in Nashville in 2008. Williams had recorded several moderately successful albums, and was signed as a songwriter to Warner/Chappell; White had independently released The Long Goodbye -- which was originally set to be released through a deal with Captiol Records -- and was writing for EMI Music. At the workshop, approximately 25 songwriters were assembled by music publishers to write radio singles for an unnamed band later identified as the country group Gloriana. Williams and White were randomly paired to write together, and quickly discovered an affinity. In a 2012 interview, Williams said that "when he started singing it was like I knew where he was going to go before he went there." In the same interview, White said that when he and Williams "started singing together, there was this weird click; it was like there was a dance going where I knew I could lead her but she could lead me, too". Following the workshop, White and Williams made immediate plans to meet again. They wrote the song "Falling" during their first session, which took place at William's house, [3][4]

Looking for a name for the project, Williams came up with The Civil Wars. "It has nothing to do with the historical meaning. There is a great quote that I believe is Plato, who said, 'Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle," she said. "As I was thinking about the music we make, that sense of battle seemed applicable." [5] The duo performed for the first time as The Civil Wars at the French Quarter Cafe in Nashville on April 7, 2009. [6] Williams' former producer Charlie Peacock was in attendance, and impressed by their dynamics and on-stage chemistry, began working with them the following day.[7] On April 8, 2009, Peacock recorded The Civil Wars' second live show. Eight of the songs that were recorded that night were on Live at Eddie's Attic,which was released through Sensibility Music on June 30, 2009 as a free download on the Civil Wars' website. In addition to a live and demo version of "Falling," the record included "Poison & Wine," covers of Leonard Cohen's "Dance Me to the End of Love," and Sade's "No Ordinary Love," and "If I Didn't Know Better," which was later covered in an episode of Nashville.[8] Released through Sensibility Music, a recording, marketing, licensing and management company established by Williams and her husband, Civil Wars manager Nate Yetton, Live at Eddie's Attic had been downloaded more than 700,000 times as of 2014.

In 2008 Williams' song "It Doesn't Get Better Than This" was used in a rebranding campaign for Oscar Meyer; the proceeds from the commercial were used to finance the recording of The Civil Wars' first EP Poison & Wine.[9][4]. The EP was recorded at Peacock's Art House studio, a 100-year old New England style converted church, in the sanctuary, a room with 20 foot ceilings and heart-pine floors. Most of the songs were recorded in three passes. In two sessions, nine tracks were completed. [10]

In November 2009, "Poison & Wine" was used in its entirety as a music bed for a pivotal montage at the end of a sixth season episode of Grey's Anatomy. At the time, the song was available only on Live at Eddie's Attic. White, Williams and Yetton found out about the placement only four days prior to the episode's airing. They uploaded the newly recorded version of the song to iTunes, and created a music video for "Poison & Wine" in an afternoon. As the video was being put online, Williams and White were watching the Grey's Anatomy episode, and the uploading was completed almost to the second that the last note of the song played.[11] Through Grey's Anatomy, the Civil Wars were exposed to a substantial national audience, which included Taylor Swift, who declared her love for the Civil Wars via Twitter.[12] Poison & Wine was released a week after Grey's Anatomy aired, and debuted at #4 on the iTunes Singer/Songwriter chart.[13] The duo toured consistently throughout 2009 and 2010.[14]

2011

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Wiilliams, White, and Peacock returned to the Art House to record The Civil Wars debut album, Barton Hollow, which was released on February 1, 2011. Recorded in the studio's sanctuary and in the more conventional Studio A Live Room, the production was built around vocals, acoustic guitar and piano, with drums, percussion and overdubs largely absent. Aided in part by a January appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and support from Swift, Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum, and Sara Barielles, Barton Hollow was the #1 downloaded album on iTunes the week it was released. It also charted at #1 on the Billboard Digital Albums chart, #1 on the Billboard Folk Albums chart, #2 on the Rock Albums Chart, and at #10 on the Billboard 200. [15][16][17]

Barton Hollow received significant critical acclaim. The BBC wrote "A timeless, anachronistic record, Barton Hollow could be from 30 years ago, or it could be from 30 years hence. What’s certain, though, is that you truly feel it in the here and now," while the New York Daily News wrote "With care and delicacy, they curate their notes, stitching together a sound that's sharp, arch and almost achingly fine."[18][19] The album appeared on the "Best of 2011" lists for NPR Music,[20]Rolling Stone,[21] and Entertainment Weekly,[22]among others, and it was listed at #9 in the "Top 10 of Everything in 2011" in Time[23].

For most of the year, White and Williams toured the US and Canada non-stop. In May and June, they toured with Adele, who wrote on her blog, "I have the complete honour of having a band called The Civil Wars on the tour at the moment. They are by far the BEST live band I have EVER seen."[24] They toured with Adele in Europe later in the year, prior to the international release of Barton Hollow. By October, Barton Hollow, which was released independently through Sensibility, had sold more than 195,000 copies.[14]

The Civil Wars were nominated for a 2011 Country Music Association Award in the Vocal Duo of the Year category,[25][26] and in the Duo/Group of the Year and Emerging Artist of the Year categories for the Americana Music Awards.[27] They received the Vanguard Award at the 49th Annual ASCAP Country Music Awards,[28]

Also in 2011, Williams and White teamed with Taylor Swift and T-Bone Burnett to write Safe & Sound, a track for The Hunger Games: Songs from District 12 and Beyond. The song, performed by The Civil Wars and Swift, and produced by Burnett, was written and recorded in a single day. It was released on iTunes in the US December 26.[29]

2012

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White and Williams again began the year on tour. In February in Los Angeles, The Civil Wars won two Grammy Awards for Barton Hollow: Best Folk Album and Best Country Duo/Group Performance. They performed part of "Barton Hollow" on the Grammy telecast, and introduced Swift, who played "Mean."[30] In March, Barton Hollow was released internationally and Williams and White completed their first European tour. Later in the year, just as Barton Hollow was certified gold in the US,[31] they began working on their second full-length album with Charlie Peacock,[32], which they wrote while on the road at the suggestion of Rick Rubin, who also produced a track for the album.[33] and on October 28th began their first extensive tour in the UK and Europe.[14] On November 6th, after a performance at the Roundhouse in London, Williams and White announced that they were cancelling the remaining tour dates, due to "internal discord and irreconcilable differences of ambition."Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page). They offered no further explanation, although in a 2013 interview with The New York Times, Williams said their last performances were "excruciating."[34]

2013

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In February, Williams, White, Swift and Burnett won the Grammy Award for Best Song Written For Visual Media for "Safe & Sound," which was also nominated for a Golden Globe. The following month, it was announced that the Civil Wars had teamed with Burnett to record the soundtrack for A Place at the Table, a documentary that examined the role hunger plays in the lives of American families. Burnett and the Civil Wars recorded 14 new songs -- together and separately -- for the soundtrack. The proceeds from the soundtrack, recorded in Austin in 2011, were donated to the Participant Foundation. It was released on February 26.[35]

[[The Civil Wars (album)}The Civil Wars]], the album that White and Williams had begun recording with Peacock in mid-2012, was released in August through Sensibility/Columbia. White remained at his home in Muscle Shoals, Alabama with his wife and four children, while Williams and Peacock did interviews to support the release. Peacock said that the strain was evident from the start of the recording process, and that White and Williams seemed to be pulling in different directions. Williams disclosed that she and White hadn't spoken since the record was completed.[34] [33]

The album entered the US Billboard charts and the digital charts at #1, and debuted in the UK at #2. Barton Hollow -- which spent five weeks in the Top 40 -- moved to the top position on the catalog charts.[36] The album's "From This Valley" won the 2014 for Best Country Duo/Group Performance.[37]

2014

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In April, Williams began working on a solo album.[38] In August, she and White offered a free online download of "You Are My Sunshine," which had previously been available only on vinyl, and announced that they had "regretfully decided to permanently part ways."[2]

Discography

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Main article: The Civil Wars discography
Studio albums
EPs
  • Poison & Wine (2009)
  • Tracks in the Snow (2011)
  • Between the Bars (2013)
  • Bare Bones (2013)
Collaborations
Other album appearances

Awards and nominations

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Year Association Category Result
2011 CMT Music Awards Duo Video of the Year — "Barton Hollow" Nominated
Americana Music Association New/Emerging Artist of the Year Nominated
Duo/Group of the Year Nominated
Country Music Association Awards Vocal Duo of the Year Nominated
ASCAP Awards Vanguard Award Won
2012 54th Grammy Awards Best Folk Album — Barton Hollow Won
Best Country Duo/Group Performance — "Barton Hollow" Won
CMT Music Awards Video of the Year — Safe & Sound (Taylor Swift feat. The Civil Wars) Nominated
Collaborative Video of the Year — Safe & Sound (Taylor Swift feat. The Civil Wars) Nominated
Duo Video of the Year — Poison & Wine Nominated
Americana Music Association Duo/Group of the Year Won
A2IM Libera Awards Album of the Year - Barton Hollow Nominated
Country Music Association Awards Vocal Duo of the Year Nominated
Musical Event of the Year - "Safe & Sound" (Taylor Swift feat. The Civil Wars) Nominated
2013 55th Grammy Awards Best Country Duo/Group Performance — "Safe & Sound" (with Taylor Swift) Nominated
Best Song Written For Visual Media — "Safe & Sound" (with Taylor Swift) Won
70th Golden Globe Awards Best Original Song — "Safe & Sound" (with Taylor Swift) Nominated
2014 56th Grammy Awards Best Country Duo/Group Performance — "From This Valley" Won
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References

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  1. ^ Bernstein, Ian (August 6, 2013). "The Civil Wars' Self-Titled Album: What the Critics Are Saying". the Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
  2. ^ a b Yahr, Emily (August 6, 2014). "The Civil Wars break up for good but try to let fans down as gently as possible". Washington Post. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
  3. ^ Richman, Simmy (March 18, 2012). "How We Met: Joy Williams & John Paul White". The Indepedent. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  4. ^ a b Gold, Adam (November 10, 2011). "How The Civil Wars fought for artistic independence and broadsided Music Row". The Nashville Scene. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  5. ^ McKinley, James C. (October 25, 2011). "Their Year of Living Almost Famously". The New York Times. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
  6. ^ Reverte, Michelle (June 13, 2011). "Interview: Joy Williams and John Paul White of The Civil Wars". laist.com. The LAIST. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  7. ^ Inglis, Sam (April 2012). "The Civil Wars chose to avoid the usual studio trickery for their debut album, and have reaped great success as a result". soundonsound.com. Sound on Sound. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  8. ^ Black, Elizabeth (October 25, 2012). "Why Is The Music Of Nashville So Good? A Look At The Songs And Songwriters From The Show's First Three Episodes". vh1.com. VH1. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  9. ^ Clifford, Stephanie (January 14, 2010). "Oscar Mayer Counts on the Joy, Not the Jingles". New York Times. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
  10. ^ Peacock, Charlie (January 20, 2010). "Performance Production: The Civil Wars' "Poison & vWine"". performanceproduction.com. Performance Production. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  11. ^ NPR Staff (February 12, 2007). "The Civil Wars: A Chance Meeting, An Internet Sensation". npr.org. NPR. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  12. ^ Wyland, Sarah (February 4, 2007). "The Civil Wars Have a Superfan in Taylor Swift". blog.gactv.com. Great American Country.
  13. ^ Staff (February 7, 2011). "The Civil Wars, Lucy Schwartz". calendar.boston.com. Boston Magazine. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  14. ^ a b c "Civil Wars Gigography". songkick.com. Songkick. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
  15. ^ Billboard Staff. "The Civil Wars Billboard (aggregated content)". billboard.com. Billboard. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  16. ^ Stewart, Allison (May 20, 2011). "Be specific: The Civil Wars talk about life as country-folk's newest phenoms". Washington Post. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  17. ^ Associated Press (March 17, 2011). "Taylor's tweet helps The Civil Wars win fans". News Observer. AP. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  18. ^ Farber, Jim (February 1, 2011). "The Civil Wars 'Barton Hollow' album review: 'Grey's Anatomy' 'Poison and Wine' hit makers haunt". New York Daily News. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  19. ^ Pearlman, Mischa. "The Civil Wars Barton Hollow Review". bbc.co.uk. BBC. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  20. ^ (2011, December 8) NPR Music: 50 Favorite Albums of 2011. NPR. Retrieved December 10, 2011.
  21. ^ "Readers' Poll: The Best New Artists of 2011 Pictures". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
  22. ^ Smith, Grady. (December 24, 2011) 15 Breakout Stars of 2011, Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 25, 2011.
  23. ^ Suddath, Claire (December 7, 2011). "The Top 10 Everything of 2011". TIME. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  24. ^ Adele. "Adele: The Civil Wars". adele.tv. Adele (Blog). Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  25. ^ Smyth, David (October 2, 2011) The Adele Effect, Evening Standard (London). Retrieved October 18, 2011.
  26. ^ Freeman, Jon (September 6, 2011) CMA Nominations Revealed. Retrieved 2011-11-11, from MusicRow.com
  27. ^ Fahey, Linda (October 18, 2011) The Mix. Americana Music Awards. NPR. Retrieved October 18, 2011.
  28. ^ The Civil Wars. ASCAP Vanguard Award. ASCAP. October 6, 2011. Retrieved October 18, 2011.
  29. ^ Vena, Jocelyn (February 13, 2012). "Taylor Swift's 'Safe & Sound' Came Together 'Organically'". mtv.com. MTV. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
  30. ^ Vena, Jocelyn (February 2, 2012). "Taylor Swift Hits Stage With Civil Wars At Grammys". mtv.com. MTV. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
  31. ^ Paulsen, Dave (September 13, 2012). "The Civil Wars 'Barton Hollow' certified gold, band celebrates at Grimey's". The Tennessean. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
  32. ^ Powers, Ann (July 15, 2013). "Watch The Civil Wars Live Up To Their Name In A Behind-The-Scenes Video". npr.org. NPR. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
  33. ^ a b Gold, Adam (August 5, 2013). "Civil Wars' Joy Williams: 'We Haven't Been on Speaking Terms'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
  34. ^ a b McKinley, James C. (August 2, 2013). "The Break Up Album, 9 Months After". The New York Times. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
  35. ^ Rogers, D. Patrick (February 13, 2013). "The Civil Wars Team With T Bone Burnett for A Place at the Table Documentary Soundtrack, Donate Proceeds to Charity". Nashville Scene. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
  36. ^ Grein, Paul (August 14, 2013). "Week Ending Aug. 11, 2013. Albums: The Civil Wars, On Hiatus And On Top". yahoo.com. Yahoo!.
  37. ^ "The Civil Wars Win Best Country Duo/Group Performance". grammy.org. Grammy Awards. January 26, 2014. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
  38. ^ Nicholson, Jessica (April 14, 2014). "The Civil Wars' Joy Williams Prepping Solo Album". musicrow.com. Music Row. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
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