Gillian Welch

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Gillian Howard Welch
Gillian Welch in 2007
Gillian Welch in 2007
Background information
Born October 2, 1967 (1967-10-02) (age 40)

New York City, New York, U.S.
Origin Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Genre(s) bluegrass, neotraditional country, Americana, old time, folk, American Primitivism
Instrument(s) singing, guitar, banjo, drums, harmonica
Associated acts Dave Rawlings Machine, David Rawlings, Sweet Harmony Traveling Revue
Website http://www.gillianwelch.com/
Notable instrument(s)
Gibson J-50

Gillian Welch (born October 2, 1967 in New York City)[1] is a singer-songwriter whose musical style combines elements of bluegrass, neotraditional country, Americana, old time string band music and folk into a rustic style that she dubs "American Primitive".[2] All of her recordings feature the close-harmonies and unconventional guitar work of her musical partner, David Rawlings. Her music is often described as haunting or soothing. Gillian pronounces her first name with a hard G (IPA: [g] rather than IPA: [d͡ʒ]).

Contents

[edit] Biography and career

Welch was born in Manhattan and was adopted when she was three days old. She moved to Los Angeles at the age of four. On her eighth birthday she wished for and got a guitar and lessons, and learned soon to play the guitar. Studying at the University of California, Santa Cruz Welch discovered bluegrass music through the "mountain soul" stylings of The Stanley Brothers.[3] After a short stint in a local camp band called Söfa, Welch moved to Boston and studied at the Berklee College of Music.

In Boston, Welch met and began dating David Rawlings, who would become her long-time musical partner. In 1992, they moved to Nashville and began building a career. In Nashville, she met T-Bone Burnett,[4] producer to such artists as Los Lobos, Sam Phillips, Counting Crows, and Elvis Costello. In 1996, Welch released her first album, Revival, which was nominated for a Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Album in 1997.[2] Since then, she has recorded other albums and collaborated on the songs "Didn't Leave Nobody But the Baby" and "I'll Fly Away" on the Grammy-winning soundtrack of the Coen Brothers hit film O Brother, Where Art Thou?.[5] Welch also had a cameo in the film, as a girl in a record store trying to obtain a copy of the Soggy Bottom Boys' recording of "Man of Constant Sorrow."

Welch has also collaborated with good friend and singer/songwriter Ryan Adams on the albums Heartbreaker and Destroyer. She and Rawlings toured with Emmylou Harris, Patty Griffin, and Buddy Miller in 2004 as The Sweet Harmony Traveling Revue. Welch and Rawlings have collaborated with Old Crow Medicine Show and appear in their video of their song "Wagon Wheel". Recently, Welch and Rawlings have been touring with Bright Eyes in 2007 on their American Cassadaga tour. Her song My First Lover is featured in the trailer of the new motion picture The Strangers.[6] Welch and Rawlings made surprise appearances in Baltimore, Washington D.C., Richmond, Va., Norfolk, Va., and Asheville, NC. opening for Rilo Kiley in June 2008 to showcase new songs the two had been working on.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Solo

[edit] Other Appearances

[edit] Videography

[edit] Covers

Many artists have recorded songs written by Gillian Welch and by Welch and Rawlings:

[edit] Performances and recordings with other artists

  • Welch covers Gram Parsons' "Hickory Wind" on the various artists' compilation, Return of the Grievous Angel: A Tribute to Gram Parsons, released in 1999.
  • Welch and Rawlings sing backing vocals on "Speedway at Nazareth" and "Prairie Wedding" on Mark Knopfler's 2000 album Sailing to Philadelphia.
  • Welch plays drums and David Rawlings produces on Old Crow Medicine Show's album Big Iron World.
  • Welch performs vocals on Bright Eyes' 2007 release Cassadaga.
  • Welch and Rawlings performed on Robyn Hitchcock's 2004 album Spooked.
  • On April 5, 2007, Welch joined the Decemberists on stage in Nashville as a surprise guest.
  • On June 2, 2007, Welch and Rawlings appeared as a special surprise guest at Levon Helm's Midnight Ramble sessions in Woodstock, NY.
  • Welch performs vocals on two songs for Old Crow Medicine Show's World Cafe EP. (Wrecking Ball, Odds'n Ends).
  • Welch and David Rawlings performed on Jay Farrar's 2001 album Sebastopol.
  • Welch and David Rawlings performed with Bright Eyes and Maria Taylor in the Taylor Family Band at a secret show in Birmingham, AL on December 28, 2006
  • Welch and Rawlings contribute various of their talents to Ryan Adams' Heartbreaker.
  • Welch plays drums on Uncle Earl's album Waterloo, Tennessee (The Last Goodbye)
  • Welch and Rawlings open for Bright Eyes in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Both join the second opener as well as Bright Eyes throughout the show. (Sioux Falls, SD: Ramkota Convention Center)[7]

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  • Friskies-Warren, Bill (1998). "Gillian Welch". In The Encyclopedia of Country Music. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 575.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Wilkinson, Alec. "The Ghostly Ones", The New Yorker, 2004-09-20, pp. 78. Retrieved on 2007-11-11. 
  2. ^ a b Reed, James. "Gillian Welch Thrives In An Old-time Niche", Boston Globe, 2003-11-07. Retrieved on 2007-11-11. 
  3. ^ Simmons, Sylvie. "Hillbilly Millionaire", San Francisco Chronicle, 2005-09-25. Retrieved on 2007-11-11. 
  4. ^ Braver, Rita. "There Are Still Struggling Artists", CBS News, 2000-03-24. Retrieved on 2007-11-11. 
  5. ^ Goodspeed, John. "Bluegrass at forefront of CMA awards", San Antonio Express-News, 2001-11-07, pp. 1G. Retrieved on 2007-11-11. 
  6. ^ Rogue Pictures new motion picture, The Strangers http://www.thestrangers.net
  7. ^ Morast, Robert. "Passion finds voice in Bright Eyes", Argus Leader, 2007-10-26. Retrieved on 2007-12-11.