Page 34 - Cityview Jan-Feb 2017

AROUND TOWNJohn Paul WhiteG y winner close US tour in Knoxvi BY TOMI L. WILEYA BREAKUP THAT ROCKED THE MUSIC SCENEThe Civil Wars—composed of John Paul White and Joy Williams—was a tentative venture that bred a rabid fan base, won two Grammys, opened for Adele and recorded a movie soundtrack with Taylor Swift. Then, suddenly... dust. No interviews. No news—nothing, until the final announcement that the band had, well, disbanded.“I spent ten years on the road touring,” says White, with a studied gaze. “I took some time to be present, to hold my babies and my wife.” He sit cross-legged in his signature black suit, his eyes darkly focused, as intense as those who know his music would expect.I don’t prod the elephant in the room and ask about the band’s breakup even though I’m dying to.WHAT GETS HIM GOINGWhite says his favorite thing about Knoxville is UT, because his dad is a die-hard Vols fan, even though White lives in Alabama and all of his bandmates are Alabama fans (we can’t hold that against them). If he could record any song with Johnny Cash—a question that prompts a rare and genuine smile of amusement—it would be “Delia’s Gone.” If he could write the score to any movie, it wouldHaving travelled the countryfor his new album Beulah, Grammy award winner John Paul White made Knoxville his nal stop before he begins his European tour. The Open Chord saw a record turnout for a concert that amassed grassroot and new fans who have supported his launch toward a solo career after the Civil Wars.be for a zombie movie, probably; it’s a toss up between that and a spaghetti western. “Just a Southern Gothic horror movie—suspense,” he grins. His creature comfort is Cape Cod Mesquite potato chips, which are required on the road and off limits to anyone else.WAR IS HELLUntil now, John Paul White has been known primarily for his work with the Civil Wars—for his songwritingand haunting melodies, which are evident in his new music and prove that he was the moving force behind his success. That sound—his sound, made with certain guitars and a tone and pace that is purely John Paul White—kept the Knoxville crowd enthralled and is building an even bigger fan base. Single Lock Records, his own label, signs and produces some of the best music to come out of the South, such as St. Paul and the Broken Bones, the Bear, and Donnie Fritts.THE NEW ALBUMAfter years of silence, White says he had words burning for release: things that needed to be said, finally, after so much public speculation. Do songs like “What’s So” and “The Martyr” send a certain message? Only he can know,epartment32 JANUARY FEBRUARY 2017