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In a way, Utah native David Archuleta inspired the creation of the duo The Civil Wars.
Archuleta enlisted Joy Williams, a Nashville singer-songwriter, to help craft songs for his debut and sophomore albums. Although Williams had seen success as a solo performer, working with another person was revelatory.
"It was a really enjoyable experience," she said of discovering the benefits of two viewpoints rather than one. "It was something that was important to me, collaborating."
That positive process led her to form The Civil Wars with singer-songwriter John Paul White. The pair will release their debut album, "Barton Hollow," on Feb. 1.
"Working with John Paul is such a magical and mysterious process," she said in a joint interview. "I feel like working with someone who's like a soul mate."
White added: "I've done a lot of collaborating over the years, but nothing like this."
They've performed together for only two years, yet audiences regularly mistake them for a married couple. While they're not romantically linked, White believes the mistake is a compliment to their onstage chemistry. "Onstage, we're not actors," White said. "Otherwise, it would be vaudeville."
That's even more remarkable considering the contrast of their backgrounds. Williams grew up in Santa Cruz, Calif., with early California dreams of Beach Boys pop, and White grew up in Alabama. "I grew up singing in church, and he grew up singing in bars," Williams said. "You ever heard of the term yin and yang?"
"I've been known to ask what planet she comes from," White said, but joked she has a "hidden hillbilly" inside.
That's why their stripped-down songs — with White on guitar and Williams on piano — work. In country circles, the duo's breakthrough came in late 2010 with the single "Poison & Wine," a duet about a doomed relationship that was featured prominently in a pivotal scene on the ABC hit "Grey's Anatomy."
Williams' delicate soprano and White's husky high baritone meld in a way that recalls the harmonies of Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner, while the lyrics are charged with the complexities of love-hate dynamics:
I wish you'd hold me when I turn my back
The less I give the more I get back
Oh your hands can heal, your hands can bruise
I don't have a choice but I still choose you
Oh I don't love you but I always will
The State Room show will be The Civil Wars' first Utah performance, followed by two Sundance sets on Jan. 27 and 28. They will remain in the Beehive State all week, doing press and publicity to promote their premiere release.
But don't worry about them needing local friends. Williams knows a prominent member of the Archuleta family and owes him some thanks.
An intact musical union
The duo The Civil Wars performs. Provo band Parlor Hawk opens.
When • Thursday, Jan. 20, at 8 p.m.
Where • The State Room, 638 S. State St., Salt Lake City
Tickets • $12 in advance, $15 night of, at thestateroomslc.com
Other performances • Jan. 27 at 3:20 p.m. and Jan. 28 at 3:20 p.m. at Sundance ASCAP Music Cafe at Stanfield Fine Art, 751 Main St., Park City; open only to Sundance Film Festival credential holders.