Book The Civil Wars

The Civil Wars were the American duo of Joy Williams and John Paul White, whose haunting harmonies and spare arrangements earned them major critical acclaim in Americana. Both had solo careers before meeting at a Nashville songwriting session in 2008, where their voices proved a striking match. Their style drew on folk, country and Americana, built around intimate vocals, acoustic guitar and lyrics full of longing. The song "Poison & Wine" (2009) gained wide exposure through television placements and helped build anticipation for their debut album, Barton Hollow (2011). That record became a breakout success and won two Grammy Awards, and the pair were also named Duo/Group of the Year at the Americana Music Honors & Awards in 2012. Their self-titled second album, The Civil Wars (2013), extended their run, and they collected two more Grammy Awards for a total of four. The duo split in 2014, and both members returned to solo work. Their two albums remain landmark records of the modern Americana movement, remembered for chilling close harmonies and emotionally charged songwriting.