The Civil Wars
| Company type | Musical duo |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Founder | Joy Williams, John Paul White |
| Defunct | 2014 |
| Headquarters | Nashville, Tennessee , United States |
| Products | Music albums, singles, EPs |
| Website | sensibilitymusic |
The Civil Wars consisted of the American musical pair Joy Williams and John Paul White. Established in 2008, their sound merged elements of folk, country, and Americana music, distinguished by evocative harmonies and deeply emotional lyrics.
They achieved acclaim with their first album, Barton Hollow, released in 2011, which earned them two Grammy Awards. Their self-titled sophomore album appeared in 2013, garnering an additional two Grammys before the duo disbanded in 2014.
2008–2010: Formation
Prior to forming the duo, Williams and White pursued individual careers. They crossed paths at a songwriting workshop in Nashville in 2008; Williams was under contract with Warner/Chappell, while White had independently launched The Long Goodbye and was composing for EMI Music. During the workshop, they were paired to collaborate on songs for the country band Gloriana and quickly recognized a strong artistic synergy. Their initial session at Williams’ residence produced the track "Falling."
Williams chose the name The Civil Wars inspired by the saying "be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle," reflecting the emotional depth of their music. The duo’s debut performance under this name took place on April 7, 2009, at Nashville’s French Quarter Cafe. Producer Charlie Peacock began collaborating with them soon after, impressed by their musical connection.
On April 8, 2009, Shalom Aberle recorded their second live show where they opened for Will Hoge at Eddie's Attic. Eight recordings from this concert were released as Live at Eddie's Attic on June 30, 2009 through Sensibility Music—Williams’ and manager Nate Yetton’s recording and management label. By 2014, this release had surpassed 700,000 downloads.
In November 2009, their song "Poison & Wine" was featured on Grey's Anatomy, significantly increasing their exposure nationwide and attracting fans such as Taylor Swift, who publicly supported them. Upon release, the track debuted at number four on the iTunes Singer/Songwriter chart.
Throughout 2009 and 2010, The Civil Wars embarked on extensive touring.
2011–2012: Barton Hollow
Returning to the Art House studio, Williams, White, and Peacock recorded The Civil Wars' first album, Barton Hollow, which was launched on February 1, 2011. The album’s production focused heavily on vocal harmonies, acoustic guitar, and piano arrangements, while employing minimal percussion and few overdubs. Their January performance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno helped boost visibility, alongside endorsements from Taylor Swift, Hillary Scott of Lady A, and Sara Bareilles. Upon release, Barton Hollow became the most downloaded album on iTunes during its debut week. It also reached the top position on the Billboard Digital Albums and Folk Albums charts, climbed to #2 on the Rock Albums chart, and secured the #10 spot on the Billboard 200.
The album received widespread critical acclaim; the BBC described it as "timeless," while the New York Daily News highlighted its "sharp, arch and almost achingly fine" qualities. It was featured in year-end "Best of 2011" compilations by NPR Music, Rolling Stone, and Entertainment Weekly. Additionally, it ranked #9 in Time's "Top 10 of Everything in 2011."
Throughout 2011, White and Williams embarked on an extensive tour across North America. During May and June, they supported Adele on tour, who praised them as "the BEST live band I have EVER seen." They subsequently joined Adele for a European tour ahead of Barton Hollow’s international release. By October, the independently issued album via Sensibility had surpassed 195,000 copies sold. In November, they followed up with a four-track EP titled Tracks in the Snow.
The Civil Wars garnered several nominations in 2011, including a Country Music Association Award nod for Vocal Duo of the Year. They were also contenders for Duo/Group of the Year and Emerging Artist of the Year at the Americana Music Honors & Awards. That same year, they received the Vanguard Award at the 49th Annual ASCAP Country Music Awards. Collaborating with Taylor Swift and producer T-Bone Burnett, they co-wrote "Safe & Sound" for the soundtrack The Hunger Games: Songs from District 12 and Beyond. This track was recorded in a single day and made available on iTunes on December 26.
Kicking off 2012 with touring activities, The Civil Wars secured two Grammy Awards for their work on Barton Hollow: Best Folk Album and Best Country Duo/Group Performance. They performed "Barton Hollow" at the ceremony following an introduction by Swift. In March, they expanded their reach with an international release of the album and completed their inaugural European tour.
Later that year, after Barton Hollow achieved gold certification in the US, work commenced on their sophomore album with Charlie Peacock. Writing sessions often took place while touring at Rick Rubin’s recommendation; Rubin himself produced one track on the project. On October 28, they kicked off an extensive UK and European tour but abruptly canceled remaining dates by November 6 due to "internal discord and irreconcilable differences of ambition." Williams later described these final shows as "excruciating."
2013–2014: The Civil Wars and separation
In January 2013, Williams and White released The Civil Wars: Unplugged on VH1, an iTunes-exclusive featuring seven songs from their early 2012 VH1 Unplugged session. The following month saw Williams, White, Swift, and Burnett earn a Grammy Award for Best Song Written For Visual Media for "Safe & Sound," which was also nominated for a Golden Globe. The duo collaborated again with Burnett on the soundtrack for A Place at the Table, a documentary addressing hunger in America; they recorded fourteen new tracks for this project. Proceeds from this Austin-recorded soundtrack were donated to the Participant Foundation upon its February 26 release.
Their self-titled album The Civil Wars, initiated with Peacock in mid-2012, was released in August through Sensibility/Columbia. While White remained in Florence, Alabama with family during promotion efforts, Williams and Peacock managed publicity duties. Peacock acknowledged early creative tensions during recording sessions due to divergent artistic directions between White and Williams. Williams confirmed that communication between them ceased after completing the album. The release debuted at No. 1 on both US Billboard and digital charts and reached No. 2 in the UK market. Meanwhile, their previous record Barton Hollow re-entered top positions on catalog charts after spending five weeks within the Top 40. Toward late 2013, they issued a four-song EP titled Between the Bars, featuring covers of artists such as Elliott Smith, Portishead, Michael Jackson, and The Romantics.
In February 2014, White and Williams won their fourth Grammy Award for "From This Valley," taken from The Civil Wars, earning Best Country Duo/Group Performance once again. On August 5 of that year, The Civil Wars announced their permanent disbandment while offering fans a complimentary download of "You Are My Sunshine" as a farewell gift. Williams expressed both disappointment over ending their partnership yet gratitude for their shared journey; White extended thanks to supporters who followed them throughout their career.
Post separation
In 2023, both artists individually contributed to a re-recording of "Safe & Sound" alongside Taylor Swift, receiving credit under their respective names.
By June 2025, they released a greatest hits collection titled The One that Got Away (The Best of the Civil Wars).
Discography
- Barton Hollow (2011)
- The Civil Wars (2013)
Awards and nominations
| Year | Organization | Award Category | Recipient | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | CMT Music Awards | Duo Video of the Year | "Barton Hollow" | Template:Nom |
| Americana Music Association | New/Emerging Artist of the Year | The Civil Wars | Template:Nom | |
| Duo/Group of the Year | Template:Nom | |||
| Country Music Association Awards | Vocal Duo of the Year | Template:Nom | ||
| ASCAP Awards | ASCAP Vanguard Award | Template:Won | ||
| 2012 | 2012 Grammy Award | Best Folk Album | Barton Hollow | Template:Won |
| Best Country Duo/Group Performance | "Barton Hollow" | Template:Won | ||
| CMT Music Awards | Video of the Year | "Safe & Sound" (featuring) | Template:Nom | |
| Collaborative Video of the Year | Barton Hollow | Template:Nom | ||
| Duo Video of the Year | "Poison & Wine" | Template:Nom | ||
| Americana Music Association | Duo/Group of the Year | The Civil Wars | Template:Won | |
| A2IM Libera Awards | Album of the Year | Barton Hollow | Template:Nom | |
| Country Music Association Awards | Vocal Duo of the Year | The Civil Wars | Template:Nom | |
| Musical Event of the Year | "Safe & Sound" (featuring) | Template:Nom | ||
| 2013 | 55th Annual Grammy Awards | Best Country Duo/Group Performance | Template:Nom | |
| Best Song Written for Visual Media | Template:Won | |||
| 70th Golden Globe Awards | Best Original Song | Template:Nom | ||
| 2014 | 56th Annual Grammy Awards | Best Country Duo/Group Performance | "From This Valley" | Template:Won |
External links
- American alternative country groups
- American folk music groups
- Columbia Records artists
- American country music duos
- Grammy Award winners
- Musical groups established in 2009
- Musical groups from Nashville, Tennessee
- 2009 establishments in Tennessee
- 2014 disestablishments in the United States
- Musical groups disestablished in 2014
- American indie folk groups
- Folk music duos
- Musical duos from Tennessee
- Male–female musical duos