The Civil Wars

One of the hottest acts of the 2010s, The Civil Wars is a duo composed of John Paul White and Joy Williams, who are known for transforming traditional folk music with a distinctive country style. ∙ White began his music career as a songwriter during the mid-2000s, composing such hits as the title track of Jason Aldean’s 2007 Platinum LP, Relentless. ∙ Williams and White were working as solo artists when they met at a songwriting camp in Nashville and formed The Civil Wars in 2008. ∙ Following the title track’s popular placement in Grey’s Anatomy, the duo rush-released their 2009 EP, Poison & Wine, which reached No. 4 on the iTunes Singer/Songwriter Albums chart. ∙ Barton Hollow, their 2011 debut LP, reached the Top 10 on the Billboard 200 and topped the Americana/Folk Albums chart. ∙ Longtime fan Taylor Swift called “Poison & Wine” her favorite duet and recruited The Civil Wars to perform on “Safe & Sound,” her single from 2012’s The Hunger Games soundtrack. ∙ The band won four Grammy Awards in just two years, including Best Country Duo/Group Performance honors in 2012 and 2014.