Gillian Welch er en amerikans singer-songwriter som spiller en blanding av country, americana og gammeldags folkemusikk. Welch kaller selv sin musikk for American Primitive. Welch ble fødd i New York 1967, men vokste opp i Los Angeles.

Da hun studerte på Berklee College of Music traff hun David Rawlings som nå er hennes samarbeidspartner innom musikken, han er også hennes sidekick på dette albumet. The Harrow & The Harvest inneholder stemmer av harmoni -  to mennekser som spiller og synger live, uten effekter.

“The truth is, we absented ourselves from Nashville for a while, to escape the weight of home and studio and record label. But I think our thoughts turned back there with a newness and clarity I hadn’t felt since I moved there almost 20 years ago.” “Dave says this record is ‘ten different kinds of sad’, but it’s not without humor. I feel like there’s a maturity in it and a sense of place that only comes with time.” Gillian continues, “We feel at home in the folk tradition, and using its language combined with our own.” “That’s the whole point of the folk tradition,” laughs Dave.