The Civil Wars Officially Call It Quits

BY Alex HudsonPublished Aug 5, 2014

Despite the Civil Wars' success, Joy Williams and John Paul White have made no secret of the fact that they haven't been getting along lately. Having previously been on a lengthy hiatus, the Americana duo have officially broken up.

In a statement on the band's website, Williams thanked the fans and said, "I am saddened and disappointed by the ending of this duo, to say the very least. JP is a tremendous musician, and I will always be grateful for the music we were able to create together."

She noted that she has been recording new material in the studio and will reemerge soon. White also shared a thank-you statement, but offered no concrete plan for his future.

As a parting gift, the Civil Wars have shared their version of "You Are My Sunshine," which was the B-side to their 2011 single "Barton Hollow" and hasn't previously been available digitally in North America. Hear it below.

The band originally took a break in late 2012, shortly after finishing their self-titled album, which came out in 2013. During an interview with Exclaim!, Williams said, "I have hope for the band, but at the moment we're not on speaking terms, and I wish that that were different. I would be willing to have a dialogue, and I hope at some point we'll be able to find a place to meet in the middle and that there can be some reconciliation there."

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