The sold-out crowd at the Berklee Performance Center went wild between every simple song delivered by the fresh Southern duo The Civil Wars on October 28th. The stage was simple, no fancy lighting or large band to accompany the talent. Rather, Joy Williams stood in front of a mic and sang her heart out, arms fluttering whimsically around her, while John Paul White stood a few feet away strumming his guitar and singing an equal part.  Somehow, the simplicity and rawness of this entranced the packed house for the 90-minute set, ending with the audience uproariously demanding an encore.

The allure for this new band lies in a trifecta of perfect lyrics, vocal control, and performance. These songwriters have gone to great lengths to choose each work to break and mend a heart. They even make the word “home” sound like a train whistle. To top that, the delivery, both on the album and in person, is impeccable. The studio-recorded work is, of course, flawless, but amazingly, the sound on stage matches it. Williams and White know when to belt, when to hold back, and even when to step back from the mic. Often, Joy will step back and softly sing harmonies as much as five feet from the mic. The talent is in the room, and it is recognized.

The story of The Civil Wars is far from conventional. Joy Williams, who was a Christian pop singer in her younger years, met Johan Paul White (already a songwriter himself at home in Alabama) at a Nashville songwriters’ conference. They describe the process of choosing artistic partners as “a blind date,” ultimately decided by drawing straws. What these two got was magic. They have been songwriting together for several years now, and have toured for a large part of it.

The duo has recorded their first album, Barton Hollow, on a new label: Sensibility Music, founded by Joy’s husband. Being on an entirely new label has allowed The Civil Wars complete freedom and abnormal control over their recordings, and it shows. After touring for over a year without an official album (a free EP was available for download on their site), Barton Hollow dropped with unexpectedly enormous success, the title track being chosen as a free iTunes single and the album shooting to #1 on iTunes downloads for almost a week. Additionally, the album received huge critical acclaim from press such as The Washington Post, New York Post, and The Wall Street Journal. The Los Angeles Times boldly predicted in a review that “through bands such as The Civil Wars, a new music industry is born.”

Barton Hollow’s release resulted in a sold-out tour, including a stop at Boston’s Red Room 939. Previously, the band had played to a small handful of people at the Lizard Lounge in Cambridge. Following their headlining tour, they were asked to be the opening act for most of Adele’s US shows, later adding several UK dates as well. After performing with them, Adele wrote on her blog, “[The Civil Wars] are by far the best live band I have ever seen. They are magical and stunning. They make my heart hurt but make it a bit stronger at the same time, too!”

Watching them perform, it’s easy to see why even Adele would be impressed: Joy and John Paul exude an incredible, indescribable chemistry on-stage. It exists not only between them, but reaches out to the audience. Everyone swoons. And yet, at least officially, the two are not in love. They seem to have fooled the whole country.

Passionately singing through originals such as “Father’s Father,” “20 Years,” “Falling,” and a new one, “Oh Henry,” the couple showed off not only their vocal chops, but also their immense skill as both songwriters and performers. They entertained the audience with several covers including a truly unique take on Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean.” For a finale, they offer a song that has been instrumental in their rise to success: “Poison and Wine,” likely to break hearts, but make them a bit stronger, too.

Get a taste of the unforgettable Civil Wars by watching the “Poison and Wine” video here.

For more information, visit The Civil Wars online at www.thecivilwars.com. 

(text by: Daniel Jones)

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