With The Hurting Kind, John Paul White has crafted a stunning album that draws on the
lush, orchestrated music made in Nashville in the early 1960s. Yet these songs retain a
modern feel, whether he's writing about overwhelming love, unraveling relationships, or
the fading memory of a loved one.
White grew up in tiny Loretto, Tennessee, and now lives in Florence, Alabama, not far
from Muscle Shoals. He has cultivated his career in Nashville for two decades, first as a
songwriter for a major publisher, then as half of The Civil Wars – a groundbreaking duo
that won four Grammy Awards before disbanding in 2012.
Because The Civil Wars were so hard to categorize, White has earned a fan base
among indie rock listeners, folk audiences, Americana outlets, and AAA radio. So, what
will happen if people hear The Hurting Kind and call it country? “Well, that doesn’t scare
me in the least,” he says. “As a matter of fact, it kind of thrills me.”