About Shovels & Rope
Shovels & Rope are an American folk duo from Charleston, South Carolina composed of husband and wife Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst. Combining threads from their individual solo careers, Shovels & Rope blends traditional folk, rock and roll and country rock.
The band's sixth album Manticore was released February 18, 2022 on Dualtone Records.
Cary Ann Hearst was born in Mississippi in 1979 and raised in Nashville from 1987 until she attended the College of Charleston in 1997. During school she began performing music as a solo artist in local bars and venues. After graduating she toured, recorded and performed with various groups including Caravan and Borrowed Angels. Michael Trent was born in Houston, grew up in Denver, and eventually relocated to Charleston. Hearst saw Trent performing with his band The Films in 2002 and they began touring with various artists including Jump, Little Children. Hearst released her first solo album Dust and Bones in 2006 and Trent released his self-titled solo album, also his first, in 2007.
In 2008, Hearst and Trent recorded and released the album Shovels & Rope as a co-bill under their individual names, not intended to ever create a permanent act. Hearst and Trent married in March 2009 and continued to perform and record their music for their individual solo careers. Hearst released the EP Are You Ready to Die in 2010 and the LP Lions and Lambs in 2011. Trent released The Winner in 2010.
At the end of 2010, filming began on a documentary titled The Ballad of Shovels and Rope about their life as a band. Originally slated for only 3 months of filming, it did not end until September 2013. After filming finished, a Kickstarter campaign was launched to help get the film finished and released. The film premiered at the 2014 Cleveland International Film Festival. The documentary went on to win Ground Zero Tennessee Spirit Award for best feature at the Nashville Film Festival and Best Feature Documentary at the Port Townsend Film Festival.
In 2012, the pair committed to their joint venture and released an album together under the Shovels & Rope moniker entitled O' Be Joyful under the Dualtone Records label, which reached #123 on the Billboard 200.
The band made their network television debut playing "Birmingham" on Late Show with David Letterman, January 30, 2013. On September 18, 2013 at the Americana Music Honors & Awards Shovels & Rope received the honors of emerging artist of the year, as well as song of the year for their song "Birmingham". They also appear in an end scene, and provide the episode background music, for the Charleston episode of CNN's Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown.
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