Irreconcilable differences: Joy Williams, left, and John Paul White of The Civil Wars called off their upcoming tour dates, citing irreconcilable differences.

By Geoffrey Rowlands


The aptly named Civil Wars seem to have been at loggerheads since the American alternative folk duo of Joy Williams and John Paul White abruptly cancelled all their scheduled concerts part way through a European tour last November.
A statement on their website said they were unable to continue as a touring entity due to “internal discord and irreconcilable differences of ambition.”
However, the post ended on a positive note with the hope that fans would hear new material from them in 2013. This has now been realised with the release of their self-titled sophomore studio album which shot straight to number one on the Billboard 200. It also topped four other Billboard charts and the Canadian albums chart as well as reaching number two in Britain.
“I’m truly amazed by how successful our record has become,” smiled 30-year-old Joy. “It’s hard enough to get a big hit with the full backing of the publicity machine. But with no opportunities to perform any of the songs and just myself promoting the album, the sales figures are astonishing.”
Joy shouldn’t really be so surprised considering the enormous success of their 2011 debut album, Barton Hollow. The LP reached number ten on the Billboard 200 and topped the Folk Albums chart. It took the Grammy for Best Folk Album while Joy and John Paul also won the Best Country Duo/Group Performance Grammy for the album title-track.
“We thought it was incredible just to be nominated for the Grammys. Actually, winning both awards topped off what was one of the most memorable nights of my life.”
Equally memorable was Joy’s first meeting with John Paul.
“It was at a kind of songwriting boot camp. We were both solo artists and our managers had demanded that we attend this gathering. We got paired up quite literally by drawing straws. Even though we came from very different backgrounds as people, there was an immediate connection between us.
“I went home afterwards and told my husband, ‘I’ve met this guy.’ It’s not the sort of thing you’d expect to say to your husband but he’s a long-time member of the music business so he knew the exact context of my enthusiasm about John Paul.”
Their collaboration quickly developed into a musical partnership which brought forth the songs on Barton Hollow.
“I remember John Paul remarking that he didn’t have much to say in his songs before we joined forces. It was like he found his songwriting voice. We just worked together so well.”
Fortunately, they began creating the second record almost as soon as their debut album was finished. Most of the tracks were completed before Joy and John Paul’s disagreement. The remaining songs were recorded individually with producer Charlie Peacock skillfully blending together the work of both parties.
“It’s obviously not the ideal way to make an album but it was the best compromise for now and the end result is great. My problem is I love the songs so much that I want to be on stage performing them. John Paul prefers to remain at home with his family.”
Do these “irreconcilable differences of ambition” mean their current album will be the duo’s swan song?
“I don’t think either of us are ready to say goodbye to The Civil Wars. It’s a difficult situation but we both have great belief in the project. Perhaps, the space between us will allow John Paul and I to see things more clearly. I still have hope for the future. I would love for us to make more music and perform together again.”

 

In brief

PEARL JAM

Pearl Jam are not exactly famed for making music videos. Their back catalogue is sparse to say the least.
But the Seattle-based band have just released a video to accompany their new single, Mind Your Manners. The song is taken from Pearl Jam’s tenth studio album, Lightning Bolt, which is scheduled for release on October 14.
The Mind Your Manners video is posted at www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWQYYavheUA. It was directed by renowned photographer Danny Clinch. He also helmed Imagine in Cornice, Pearl Jam’s 2007 DVD which chronicled the band’s 2006 world tour and featured concert footage from several of their shows in Italy.

M.I.A.

British-born rapper M.I.A., real name Mathangi ‘Maya’ Arulpragasam, has released Unbreak My Mixtape, a new song from her upcoming fourth studio album, Matangi.
It is the third single taken from the album following Bad Girls and Bring the Noize. The video for Bad Girls can be seen at www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uYs0gJD-LE. Bring the Noize is posted at www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCkIYkaLBGs.
An official video has yet to be released for Unbreak My Mixtape. However, the song can be heard at www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdBzN_UTgkk. It can also be downloaded for free from www.audiocastle.net/tracks/view/61745-MIA-Unbreak-My-Mixtape.
Although M.I.A. has not confirmed this, the song is said to be directed at her former fiance, Benjamin Bronfman. She is currently locked in a legal dispute with him over custody of their four-year-old son, Ikhyd.

FREDDIE MERCURY

The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert for AIDS Awareness took place on April 20, 1992, at London’s Wembley Stadium. It featured artists such as Metallica, Guns N’ Roses and Def Leppard along with a host of world famous vocalists performing with the remaining members of Queen.
The concert was broadcast live on television and radio to 76 countries. The viewing and listening audience was estimated to be in excess of one billion people.
Originally issued for home viewing on video and later on DVD, neither package included every performance in the show. Sadly, the same is true of the new release, The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert: The Definitive Edition.
Robert Plant requested his flawed rendition of Innuendo should not be included on any home viewing release. But there seems no apparent reason for the omission of other performances.
Even so, the new DVD or Blu-Ray package boasts digitally remastered sound, upscaled picture quality and a host of bonus features. Available now, all proceeds will be donated to the Mercury Phoenix Trust for distribution to AIDS charities throughout the world.

SZA

SZA has become the first non-rapper signed by the Top Dawg Entertainment record label.
The 23-year-old soul singer still lives with her parents in Maplewood, New Jersey. But her two EPs, See.SZA.Run and S, attracted the kind of industry attention which heralds the arrival of a future star.
Both EPs were more like mini albums with 15 tracks spread across the two releases. Each song can be heard and downloaded for free via (no www.) soundcloud.com/justsza. Click on the EP titles on the right side of the page. This reveals the tracklisting. Play and download icons appear when the mouse pointer is moved over each song title.
Two new songs are also available to hear on SZA’s Soundcloud page. Julia and Teen Spirit are taken from her forthcoming third EP, Z. Unfortunately, neither is offered for free download.