A folk-pop duo made up of guitarist John Paul White and vocalist Joy Williams, the Civil Wars made a quick name for themselves with the release of a digital album, Live at Eddie's Attic, in 2009. The Poison & Wine EP followed later that year, and the duo partnered up with producer Charlie Peacock to begin recording a full-length album in 2010. The result, Barton Hollow, was released in February 2011, topping the iTunes charts and cracking Billboard's Top 20 during its first week.