Dan discovered The Civil Wars via a Grey's Anatomy soundtrack - a show that is famous for its great acoustic and indie picks.
The O2 Shepherds Bush Empire hosted The Civil Wars on Monday 19 March 2012. This was not a violent affair, no howling of cannon fire nor mobs of demonstrator pleading for the removal of an oppressive regime. On the contrary, it was the beautifully melodic harmonies of 2012 Grammy Award of indie-folk-cum-Americana duo Joy Williams and John Paul White and the warm applause of happy citizens absorbed in pushing back the weekend. The crisp spring evening was filled with songs that tug on the heartstrings the same way John Paul Whites plucks and picks his guitar to create simple songs dealing with affairs of the heart and the relationship wreckage of lives lived hard that have been soothing souls for centuries. That said there’s nothing out-dated about The Civil Wars, their 2011 album ‘Barton Hollow’ was number one in both the US folk and indie charts and they beautifully challenge musical genre convention with covers of Michael Jackson’s ‘Billie Jean’ and ‘I Want You Back’. Adele, who chose them as her support band for her 2011 North American tour, has championed them, saying: "they 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!” WinkBall citizen video reporters Dean and Lucy went to hear reviews of The Civil Wars from the lucky London audience… We think Adele may have been right!