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Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings slow it

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By Andrew Iden, CNN

August 2, 2011 7:53 p.m. EDT

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Gillian Welch, right, and musical partner Dave Rawlings found inspiration for their new album on the open road. housing data

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STORY HIGHLIGHTS (CNN) -- Gillian Welch was trying too hard.
Singer Gillian Welch and musical Dieting companies now
partner Dave Rawlings struggled After her 2003 release "Soul Journey," she and her musical partner targeting men
with latest project Dave Rawlings, were at the forefront of the contemporary folk music The oil industry's plan to lower
The pair started driving to their movement. But as the public was clamoring for their next effort, the gas prices
shows and finished songs eight two were not happy with their latest material.
years in the making
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record from The Decemberists "It wasn't really writer's block -- there are notebooks full of songs,"
Welch said while she and Rawlings barrelled down the highway to Explore the news with NewsPulse »
their next show. "If I were going to explain how (the songs) failed, it's
RELATED TOPICS still a slight mystery to me. Because a bunch of them seemed really
Music close, and yet we just gave up on them."
Entertainment
Celebrity News When they finally found the right songs in late 2010, they released
"The Harrow and the Harvest."

"I think what was happening with this record in the microcosm is we
had to stop trying so overtly hard," Rawlings said.

"Because we'd done a lot of the mental work you have to do but we
weren't ever relaxing enough to sort of let the thought come."

In order to stretch out and relieve some of that self-imposed Healthcare Jobs
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pressure, Welch and Rawlings decided to slow things down. Instead Finance Jobs
of flying to shows, they started driving.
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Welch said they realized that "the last thing we needed was this Keywords City
mode of travel that kind of does everything in its power to negate
the fact you are moving." Job type State
more options »
"All the regimentation of it was kind of bad for our heads."

As their mode of travel slowed, their rate musical output increased

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"Your thoughts gather weight as you travel on the ground, and see Your Life Back!
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you actually have some experiences between point A and point B Test Documents Reflect Significant Diamond Presence
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chops.

After working with other musicians in a number of different

capacities, the two were ready to get back to working as a duo.

"After the eight-year break, I feel like we had a certain amount of

pent up ferocity for duets," Welch said.

"That was the first thing I feel like was absolutely settled about this
record was, OK this is going to be just the two of us, you know, I feel
like we respond very well to a certain amount of isolationism."

"Harvest" isn't a drastic departure from the folk sound that's made
them such a staple in the Americana music community. They are still
dealing with melancholy themes, and showcase lyrics that seem to
have jumped off the pages of a John Steinbeck novel.

The lush acoustic sound that Welch and Rawlings have developed
in the studio continues on this album.

"I'm so proud to have put this out into the world as a document of
what acoustic guitars sound like. You know? Because at this point
we've kind of devoted our lives to that sound," Welch said.

"The sound waves are actually mixing in the air and going into the
microphones" as opposed to using mics on the individual
instruments and voices and recording them separately.

"It's a subtle difference, but to me it's a profound difference."

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Showing 7 comments

gitchel
Uh..."bare her name" should be "bear her name". Sorry.

Evelyn2
I, on the other hand, really enjoyed their soulful Appalachian and gospel tunes.

mettle69
What a surprise to see Gillian Welch is still around. I remember buying her first album and
absolutely hated her twangy caterwauling.

mettle69
Well, that's good, baker. Thanks.

baker19
We're glad you were able to get that off your chest, mettle6.

mettle69
Well then, either you don't get out much, or most people still have no idea who Welch is.

tnoutside1
You are the first person I have ever heard say such a thing. To each his own I guess.

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