In some ways, music doesn't get much more modest or minimalist than it is in the hands of The Civil Wars, a duo comprised of California-to-Nashville transplant Joy Williams and her Alabaman partner, John Paul White. They travel without a backup band, and on their first full-length album, Barton Hollow, the bare-bones live arrangements that fans hear on the road are fleshed out with just the barest of acoustic accoutrements. Each song is an intimate conversation, and no third wheels or dinner-party chatter are going to interrupt that gorgeous, haunting hush.
On the other hand, there's been something distinctly loud about the duo's introduction to the world, even prior to the album's release. Their signature song 'Poison & Wine' was heard on Grey's Anatomy - in the foreground, in its entirety, over a key climactic montage, prompting hundreds of thousands of viewers to Google the mystery music. 500,000 views later, the newest single/video 'Barton Hollow' is also catching the attention of music lovers from across all genres.