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The Civil Wars: Tiny Desk Concert

By Bob Boilen
Published June 27, 2011 at 10:51 AM EDT

I was shocked to learn that The Civil Wars' Joy Williams and John Paul White were married, but not to each other: There's blissful, swooning chemistry as they stare into each other's eyes and sing magnificently together. For a moment, I almost felt duped, and then I remembered what I'd heard and all was set right again.

Williams and White met as reluctant attendees of a songwriting session at a Nashville studio in 2008. The next year, they recorded "Poison & Wine," which found its way onto the TV show Grey's Anatomy. Since then, it's been one adventure after another for The Civil Wars. About 14 months after the release of their digital EP, they released their first studio album, Barton Hollow — and that's where those harmonies truly shine.

If you thought the songs worked well before, you're about to see and hear two fabulously winning performers sing their hearts out at the NPR Music offices.

Set List

  • "Barton Hollow"

  • "Twenty Years"

  • "Poison & Wine"

    • Credits

    Michael Katzif (cameras); audio by Kevin Wait; photo by Mito Habe-Evans/NPR

    Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

    Tags
    Music News from NPR
    Bob Boilen
    In 1988, a determined Bob Boilen started showing up on NPR's doorstep every day, looking for a way to contribute his skills in music and broadcasting to the network. His persistence paid off, and within a few weeks he was hired, on a temporary basis, to work for All Things Considered. Less than a year later, Boilen was directing the show and continued to do so for the next 18 years.
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