Gillian Welch and her musical partner David Rawlings have released just seven studio albums over the last 29 years.
Despite that relative scarcity, the duo of Welch and Rawlings carries an outsized influence in the realms of folk and Americana music. The pair tours regularly, but infrequently passes through North Texas — they’ll return to Dallas and the Majestic Theatre on Aug. 16, their first appearance in seven years.
Welch and Rawlings are on the road in support of Woodland, the pair’s second officially released collaboration as a duo, and Welch’s first record of original material in 13 years.
Below, we’ve pulled together a playlist to either familiarize you with their exquisite handicraft, or stoke your anticipation for showtime.
“Orphan Girl”
Welch’s first two albums, 1996’s Revival and 1998’s Hell Among the Yearlings, were produced by none other than Fort Worth-raised producer T Bone Burnett. In this tune, the lead-off track from Revival, it’s easy to hear what first captured Burnett’s attention: Welch’s expressive voice feels excavated from some earlier age, yet fully alive and arresting.
“Elvis Presley Blues”
Taken from Welch’s third studio album, Time (The Revelator), which served as something of a breakout effort, coming as it did on the heels of her association with the 2000 film O Brother, Where Are Thou? This bewitching sense memory of a song is riveting in its spareness. Welch’s voice is backed only by her and Rawlings’ delicate acoustic guitar and vocal interplay.
“The Way It Will Be”
This gorgeous track from Welch’s 2011 LP The Harrow & the Harvest is all the more impressive when considering that Welch and Rawlings entered the studio, laid down a take or two and even composed some of the music on the fly. It’s a thrilling testament to their innate skill, as well as their bond as collaborators.
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“All the Good Times (Are Past and Gone)”
Perhaps the most underrated aspect of Welch and Rawlings’ catalog is their affinity for resurrecting long forgotten or neglected songs from deep within the history of folk and traditional music. Hearing them tackle a dusty curio like this, the title track of their 2020 LP, is to understand how time and perspective can make the past feel vitally present.
“Empty Trainload of Sky”
The lead single from 2024’s Woodland (a record named for the studio where Welch and Rawlings cut the songs), “Empty Trainload of Sky” immediately feels like a warm hug from a dear friend — well-worn, familiar and satisfying. There’s a faint hint of jazz percolating beneath the folk elements, suggesting Welch and Rawlings remain attuned to music’s endless malleability, all these decades later.
Gillian Welch & David Rawlings at Majestic Theatre, Dallas. 7:30 p.m. Aug. 16. Tickets are $58-$408.
Preston Jones is a North Texas freelance writer and regular contributor to KXT. Email him at [email protected] or find him on Bluesky (@prestonjones.bsky.social). Our work is made possible by our generous, music-loving members. If you like how we lift up local music, consider becoming a KXT sustaining member right here.
