David Rawlings

Rawlings attended the Berklee College of Music and studied with Lauren Passarelli.{{cite news|title=Dave Rawlings takes the lead|newspaper=Boston.com|date=June 2010|url=http://www.boston.com/ae/music/articles/2010/06/01/dave_rawlings_takes_the_lead/|access-date=September 11, 2017|last1=Reed|first1=James}} He produced albums by Gillian Welch, Willie Watson, Dawes, and Old Crow Medicine Show. In the mid-2010s he led a band called the Dave Rawlings Machine, composed of Rawlings, Gillian Welch, Willie Watson, Paul Kowert, and Brittany Haas. John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin has been known to play mandolin with the band occasionally.{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/40-best-country-albums-of-2015-20151208/dave-rawlings-machine-nashville-obsolete-20151207|title=40 Best Country Albums of 2015|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=December 8, 2015|access-date=October 5, 2017}} Rawlings contributed to the albums Cassadaga by Bright Eyes, Spooked by Robyn Hitchcock, and Heartbreaker by Ryan Adams, with whom he wrote two songs, "To Be Young (Is to Be Sad, Is to Be High)" and "Touch, Feel and Lose".{{Cite news|url=https://americansongwriter.com/2009/11/dave-rawlings-machine-a-friend-of-friend/|title=DAVE RAWLINGS MACHINE - A Friend Of A Friend American Songwriter|date=November 17, 2009|work=American Songwriter|access-date=October 5, 2017|language=en-US}} His vocal style has often been compared to that of Bob Dylan.{{Cite news|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2009/11/dave-rawlings-machine-a-friend-of-a-friend.html|title=Dave Rawlings Machine: A Friend of a Friend|work=pastemagazine.com|access-date=October 5, 2017|language=en}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/sep/13/dave-rawlings-machine-nashville-obsolete-review|title=Dave Rawlings Machine: Nashville Obsolete CD review – laconic but biting|last=Spencer|first=Neil|date=September 13, 2015|work=The Observer|access-date=October 5, 2017|language=en-GB|issn=0029-7712}}

The Dave Rawlings Machine album A Friend of a Friend was released on November 17, 2009. Rawlings recorded the album in Nashville, and produced it himself. Gillian Welch is credited as a co-writer on five of the album's songs as well playing in the band with members of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Old Crow Medicine Show, and Bright Eyes.{{cite news|title=Dave Rawlings Machine: A Friend of a Friend|newspaper=The Observer |date=November 13, 2009|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/nov/01/dave-rawlings-machine-review|access-date=September 12, 2017 |last1=Hogan |first1=Phil }}{{cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/267243/dave-rawlings-steps-into-spotlight-with-a-friend-of-a-friend|title= Dave Rawlings Steps Into Spotlight With 'A Friend Of A Friend'|last=Graff|first=Gary|date=September 29, 2009|work=Billboard.com|access-date=September 30, 2009}} The album features a medley of a Neil Young and Bright Eyes song, as well as songs Rawlings co-wrote with Ryan Adams and Old Crow Medicine Show. Morgan Nagler (of the band Whispertown) is credited with co-writing the song "Sweet Tooth".{{Cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=137823880|title=Gillian Welch & David Rawlings: The Fresh Air Interview |website=Npr.org|date=July 18, 2011 |access-date=January 27, 2021}}

In 2015 Dave Rawlings Machine released a second album, Nashville Obsolete.{{cite news|title=Dave Rawlings Machine: Nashville Obsolete CD review|newspaper=The Observer |date=September 13, 2015|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/sep/13/dave-rawlings-machine-nashville-obsolete-review|access-date=September 12, 2017 |last1=Spencer |first1=Neil }} The album was named to Rolling Stone's list of the top 40 country albums of 2016. In late 2016 Acony issued Boots No 1: The Official Revival Bootleg, a deluxe version of the 1996 Welch album considered a "modern Americana classic" and the first collaboration for the duo.

Poor David's Almanack, released on August 11, 2017, via Acony Records, is the eighth collaborative LP for Rawlings and Welch and the first under the name David Rawlings.{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/country/news/david-rawlings-preps-new-album-poor-davids-almanack-w489845|title=David Rawlings Readies New Album, 'Poor David's Almanack'|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=July 28, 2017}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/aug/06/david-rawlings-poor-davids-almanack-review-gillian-welch-guitar-man|title=David Rawlings: Poor David's Almanack review – his most Welch-like release by far|date=August 6, 2017|newspaper=The Guardian|access-date=January 27, 2021}} In addition to Welch and Watson, the backup band includes Brittany Haas, Paul Kowert, Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show, and Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith of Dawes. The album was recorded with Ken Scott and Matt Andrews at the Rawlings/Welch duo's Woodland Sound Studios in Nashville.{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/country/premieres/hear-david-rawlings-haunting-new-song-cumberland-gap-w494447|title=Hear David Rawlings' Haunting New Song 'Cumberland Gap'|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=July 28, 2017}} The album features an original woodcut piece by Gillian Welch on the cover and was notably the first vinyl release on Welch and Rawlings' Acony record label.{{cite news|title=David Rawlings: Poor David's Almanack review|newspaper=The Guardian |date=August 6, 2017|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/aug/06/david-rawlings-poor-davids-almanack-review-gillian-welch-guitar-man|access-date=September 11, 2017 |last1=Empire |first1=Kitty }}{{cite news|title=Why Vinyl's Boom Is Over|newspaper=Wall Street Journal|date=July 22, 2017|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-vinyls-boom-is-over-1500721202|access-date=September 12, 2017|last1=Shah|first1=Neil}}

{{Blockquote|text=Start to finish, the album is a testament both to his immeasurable talent and to his essential place in the roots and Americana music scene. It's also a chance for a guy otherwise happy to play sideman or stand behind the boards to step out just a touch further into a well-deserved spotlight.|sign=Brittney McKenna|source=Rolling Stone}}

"Cumberland Gap" was used as the opening song to Guy Richie's 2019 film, The Gentlemen. It was nominated for Best American Roots Song at the 2018 Grammy Awards.

In July 2020, Rawlings and Welch announced All the Good Times (Are Past & Gone), an album of covers and traditional songs recorded at their home during the COVID-19 lockdowns of 2020.{{Cite web|title=All The Good Times {{!}} Gillian Welch|work=Gillian Welch |date=July 10, 2020 |url=https://gillianwelch.com/all-the-good-times/|access-date=December 29, 2021|language=en-US}} All the Good Times is notably the first album in their decades-long history of collaboration to be released jointly in both of their names.{{Cite web|date=February 19, 2021|title=Gillian Welch and David Rawlings: All the Good Times review – lockdown covers of Dylan and Prine|url=http://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/feb/19/gillian-welch-and-david-rawlings-all-the-good-times-review-lockdown-covers-of-dylan-and-prine|access-date=December 29, 2021|website=the Guardian|language=en}} The album won the 2021 Grammy Award for Best Folk Album.{{Cite web|last=Hussey|first=Allison|date=March 14, 2021|title=Gillian Welch and David Rawlings Win Best Folk Album at 2021 Grammys|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/gillian-welch-and-david-rawlings-win-best-folk-album-at-2021-grammys/|access-date=December 29, 2021|website=Pitchfork|language=en-US}}

Rawlings achieves his signature guitar sound flatpicking a small archtop guitar. The 1935 Epiphone Olympic that has been his primary instrument was a mid-priced guitar for its time, with a carved arched solid sprucewood top, carved arched solid mahogany back and mahogany sides.1934 Epiphone sales catalog It sold for about $35 in 1935{{cite web |url=http://www.acguitar.com/issues/ag76/gear76.html |title=Acguitar.com |website=Acguitar.com |access-date=December 27, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100102050026/http://www.acguitar.com/issues/ag76/gear76.html |archive-date=January 2, 2010 }} ({{Inflation|US|35|1935|fmt=eq|r=-1}}{{Inflation/fn|US}}). The guitar's lower bout measures 13 5/8 inches wide, and it has three piece f-holes.

Rawlings "scavenged" the guitar from a friend's garage and is now hardly seen playing anything else. As he states, "I just picked it up. It was filthy, and it didn't have strings. You could just see the shape of it under the sawdust." Rawlings had a new one piece bridge made for it and brought it to a recording session for Welch's first record. "As soon as I heard it through the microphone and through the speakers I was like, 'I love this guitar'." he says.{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/see-dave-rawlings-show-off-his-scavenged-vintage-guitar-in-new-series-20151014|title=See Dave Rawlings Talk Vintage Guitars in New Series|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=July 28, 2017}}

• A Friend of a Friend (Acony, 2009)
• Nashville Obsolete (Acony, 2015)

• Poor David's Almanack (Acony, 2017)

• All the Good Times (Are Past & Gone) (Acony, 2020)
• Woodland (Acony, 2024)

• Revival (Almo Sounds, 1996)
• Hell Among the Yearlings (Acony, 1998)
• Time (The Revelator) (Acony, 2001)
• Soul Journey (Acony, 2003)
• The Harrow & The Harvest (Acony, 2011)
• Boots No. 1: The Official Revival Bootleg (Acony, 2016)
• Boots No. 2: The Lost Songs (Acony, 2020)

With Ryan Adams

• Heartbreaker (2000)
• Demolition (2002)

With Bright Eyes

• Four Winds (Saddle Creek, 2007)
• Cassadaga (Saddle Creek, 2007)

With others

• Ani DiFranco, Swing Set (2000)
• Old Crow Medicine Show, Old Crow Medicine Show (2004)
• Robyn Hitchcock, Spooked (2004)
• The Whispertown 2000, Swim (Acony, 2008)
• Sara Watkins, Sara Watkins (Nonesuch, 2009)

{{Reflist}}

• David Rawlings and Gillian Welch [https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123086467 NPR Tiny Desk Concert Video]
• David Rawlings on [https://web.archive.org/web/20100704024901/http://www.pbs.org/newshour/art/blog/2010/06/dave-rawlings-steps-into-the-spotlight.html PBS NewsHour]

{{Gillian Welch}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rawlings, David}}

Category:1969 births

Category:Living people

Category:American acoustic guitarists

Category:American male guitarists

Category:American bluegrass guitarists

Category:American country singer-songwriters

Category:American country guitarists

Category:American male singers

Category:Americana Music Honors & Awards winners

Category:Grammy Award winners

Category:Country musicians from Rhode Island

Category:People from North Smithfield, Rhode Island

Category:Berklee College of Music alumni

Category:Singers from Rhode Island

Category:Guitarists from Rhode Island

Category:Record producers from Rhode Island