Gillian Welch & David Rawlings

The traditional sound of Appalachian music. bluegrass, country, Americana, and folk will fill the Michael Fowler Centre in February. American singer-songwriters Gillian Welch and David Rawlings blend the traditional music practices together in their first New Zealand concert in over a decade. The partners on stage and in life have 30 years of experience collaborating over haunting covers of folk greats. You might hear songs like Look at Miss Ohio, Orphan Girl, and Empty Trainload of Sky. Expect sparse magical arrangements and exquisite lyricism. 

Since their last visit to Wellington, they've been busy writing and producing music. Their recent album, ‘Woodland’, is the first attributed to both of them. Despite collaborating on most things, previous albums were billed individually. The album shares the name of their Nashville studio Woodland, lost to a tornado in 2020. 

You might recognise Gillian’s voice from the Coen brothers film ‘O Brother, Where Art Thou?’. She contributed to the soundtrack and snuck into the film itself. David is also a record producer and fronts the band Dave Rawlings Machine. Together, the pair are winners of multiple Grammy Awards and a slew of other accolades.