Shovels & Rope Address Racial Unity, Alzheimer’s on New Album
Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent, the husband-and-wife duo who perform as Shovels & Rope, will release their latest album, Little Seeds, on October 7th, and will support the release with a fall tour.
Their first for New West Records, Little Seeds will also be the duo’s first to consist largely of lyrics culled from their own true-life experiences and observations. But their literate tunes, infused with Southern Gothic elements and dark, quirky humor, remains an integral part of this, their fifth release and first in two years. Song subjects include the over-medication of children (“Johnny Come Outside”), Alzheimer’s disease (“Invisible Man”) and racial unity (“BWYR”).
Shovels & Rope’s last release, 2015’s Busted Jukebox Vol. 1, saw the couple covering the likes of Neil Young and Elvis Costello. Their last LP of all original material, Swimmin’ Time, was released in 2014, the year they took their unique sound that in many ways owes as much to vintage punk as to classic country to Bonnaroo and to the stage of the Grand Ole Opry. In 2013, they won the Americana Music Association’s Emerging Artist award, as well as a trophy for their song, “Birmingham.”
Little Seeds was recorded in the couple’s Charleston, South Carolina, home studio. Produced by Trent, he and his wife wrote all the songs and played every instrument. See the album’s track list below, followed by a list of their fall tour dates.
Little Seeds track listing:
“I Know”
“Botched Execution”
“St Annes Parade”
“The Last Hawk”
“Buffalo Nickel”
“Mourning Song”
“Invisible Man”
“Johnny Come Outside”
“Missionary Ridge”
“San Andreas Fault Line Blues”
“BWYR”
“Eric’s Birthday”
“This Ride”
Shovels & Rope Fall Tour 2016:
September 29th – Knoxville, TN @ Bijou Theatre
September 30th – Indianapolis, IN @ Vogue
October 3rd – Iowa City, IA @ Englert Theater
October 5th – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
October 6th and 7th – Chicago @ Thalia Hall
October 8th – Madison, WI @ Barrymore Theatre
October 10th – Detroit @ St. Andrew’s Hall
October 11th – Toronto, Canada @ Phoenix Concert Theatre
October 13th – Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground
October 14th – Boston @ House of Blues
October 15th – Philadelphia @ Union Transfer
October 17th – Brooklyn @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
October 18th and 19th – Manhattan @ Bowery Ballroom
October 21st – Washington, D.C. @ 9:30 Club
October 22nd – Charlottesville, VA @ Jefferson Theater
October 23rd – Charleston, WV @ Mountain Stage
November 2nd – Los Angeles @ Fonda Theatre
November 3rd and 4th – San Francisco @ The Fillmore
November 5th – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
November 9th – Vancouver, Canada @ Commodore Ballroom
November 11th – Bellingham, WA @ Wild Buffalo House of Music
November 12th – Seattle @ Showbox SoDo
November 13th – Missoula, MT @ The Wilma
November 15th – Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory
November 17th – Salt Lake City @ The Depot
November 18th and 19th – Denver @ Ogden Theatre