The Civil Wars: Live At Sundance

Few recent acts have stumbled into the spotlight as gracefully as The Civil Wars. After releasing their harmony-rich, beautifully bare country-folk 2011 debut, Barton Hollow, the accolades continued to rain down on the transplanted Nashville singer/songwriters. A whirlwind year of increasing critical clamor and star-studded collaborations ended when they left the 2012 Grammys holding awards for Best Folk Album and Best Country Duo.

"20 Years" The Civil Wars

The hype notwithstanding, the duo's music is fundamentally simple. Melancholic tunes like "20 Years" and "Poison & Wine" evoke the delicate old world charm of faded black and white photographs, often employing nothing but harmonized voices and guitar. When they turn up the volume, as with the sinister title track, their commitment to the craft of songwriting is unwavering.

Despite the elegant attire The Civil Wars adopted for their performance at the 2012 Sundance Festival, this exclusive five-song set stays true to the dusky simplicity of Barton Hollow. In the accompanying interview, the songwriters discuss their dizzying ascent and a year of "bucket moments." Given the group's ample gifts, there are likely plenty more to come. Watch our exclusive interview and score a free live EP. – Nate Cavalieri, Google Play

"20 Years" The Civil Wars