David Rawlings facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Rawlings
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David Rawlings performing in 2014
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| Background information | |
| Born | December 30, 1969 North Smithfield, Rhode Island, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) |
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| Instruments | Vocals, guitar |
| Associated acts | Gillian Welch, Willie Watson, John Paul Jones |
David Todd Rawlings (born December 30, 1969) is an American musician. He is a talented guitarist, singer, and record producer. David is best known for working closely with singer and songwriter Gillian Welch.
David and Gillian were nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song. This was for their song "When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings" from the movie The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. In 2020, they released All the Good Times (Are Past & Gone). This album won a Grammy Award for Best Folk Album in 2021. They released another album, Woodland, in 2024. It won the Grammy Award for Best Folk Album in 2025. This makes them the only duo to win this award more than once!
Contents
David Rawlings: Life and Music
David Rawlings went to the Berklee College of Music. He learned a lot about music there. He has produced albums for many artists. These include Gillian Welch, Willie Watson, Dawes, and Old Crow Medicine Show.
In the mid-2010s, David led a band called the Dave Rawlings Machine. The band included David, Gillian Welch, Willie Watson, Paul Kowert, and Brittany Haas. Sometimes, John Paul Jones from the famous band Led Zeppelin would play mandolin with them. David also helped with albums by Bright Eyes, Robyn Hitchcock, and Ryan Adams. He even wrote two songs with Ryan Adams: "To Be Young (Is to Be Sad, Is to Be High)" and "Touch, Feel and Lose." Many people say David's singing style sounds a lot like Bob Dylan's.
David Rawlings: Albums and Songs
David Rawlings has released several albums, both with his band and as a solo artist. He has also worked on many albums with Gillian Welch.
A Friend of a Friend (2009)
The Dave Rawlings Machine released their first album, A Friend of a Friend, in 2009. David recorded and produced the album himself in Nashville. Gillian Welch helped write five of the songs. She also played in the band for the album. The album included songs David wrote with Ryan Adams and Old Crow Medicine Show.
Nashville Obsolete (2015)
In 2015, the Dave Rawlings Machine released their second album, Nashville Obsolete. This album was named one of the top country albums of 2016 by Rolling Stone magazine.
Poor David's Almanack (2017)
Poor David's Almanack came out in 2017. This was the first album released under the name David Rawlings. Gillian Welch and Willie Watson were part of the band for this album. Other musicians from Old Crow Medicine Show and Dawes also played on it. The album was recorded in Nashville. It was also the first vinyl record released on Welch and Rawlings' own record label, Acony.
One of the songs from the album, "Cumberland Gap," was used in the 2019 movie The Gentlemen. It was also nominated for a Best American Roots Song Grammy Award in 2018.
All the Good Times (Are Past and Gone) (2020)
In 2020, David Rawlings and Gillian Welch released All the Good Times (Are Past & Gone). This album features cover songs and traditional songs. They recorded it at their home during the 2020 lockdowns. This was the first album they released together under both of their names. It won the 2021 Grammy Award for Best Folk Album.
David Rawlings' Guitar
David Rawlings is known for his special guitar sound. He plays a small archtop guitar using a technique called flatpicking. His main guitar is a 1935 Epiphone Olympic. This guitar was not very expensive when it was new. It has a carved top made of spruce wood and a carved back and sides made of mahogany.
David found this guitar in a friend's garage. It was dirty and had no strings. He had a new bridge made for it. When he first heard it through a microphone during a recording session, he loved the sound. Now, he almost always plays this guitar.
David Rawlings: Discography
Dave Rawlings Machine Albums
- A Friend of a Friend (Acony, 2009)
- Nashville Obsolete (Acony, 2015)
David Rawlings Albums
- Poor David's Almanack (Acony, 2017)
Gillian Welch & David Rawlings Albums
- All the Good Times (Are Past & Gone) (Acony, 2020)
- Woodland (Acony, 2024)
Gillian Welch Albums (with David Rawlings)
- 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)
Guest Appearances
David Rawlings has also played as a guest musician on other artists' albums.
- 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)
