Shovels & Rope

South Carolina spouses Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst, who perform as Shovels & Rope, filter country, folk, bluegrass, Americana, and blues through taut punk and indie-rock textures. Their first two albums, O' Be Joyful (2012) and Swimmin' Time (2014), each reached the Billboard 200. Subsequent original studio releases—Little Seeds (2016), By Blood (2019), and Something Is Working Up Above My Head (2024)—sit alongside several editions of their Busted Jukebox covers project, which has paired the duo with Brandi Carlile, the Milk Carton Kids, M. Ward, Rhett Miller, Sharon Van Etten, and additional guests.

Trent previously played in the indie-rock band the Films, while Hearst issued solo recordings that spotlighted her gritty yet tuneful voice; one such track, “Hell’s Bells,” appeared during the 2010 season of True Blood. Drawing from Woody Guthrie, Elvis Costello, Bob Dylan, the Cramps, and the vocal blend of Johnny Cash and June Carter, the pair opened shows for Justin Townes Earle, Hayes Carll, and the Felice Brothers before tracking their debut. Released in 2012, O’ Be Joyful carried country, bluegrass, and blues through an edgy indie-rock lens, earning the duo the Best Emerging Artist honor at the 2013 Americana Music Honors & Awards.

Swimmin’ Time arrived in August 2014, the same year the documentary The Ballad of Shovels & Rope premiered and captured the Tennessee Spirit Award at the Nashville Film Festival. Busted Jukebox, Vol. 1 followed in November 2015, featuring covers of favorite songs recorded with Shakey Graves, the Milk Carton Kids, JD McPherson, Butch Walker, and others. The duo moved to New West Records for Little Seeds in 2016, then issued Busted Jukebox, Vol. 2 in December 2017 with Brandi Carlile and Rhett Miller among the guests.

By Blood, their fourth collection of original material, surfaced in April 2019; two years later a third Busted Jukebox volume appeared, spotlighting Sharon Van Etten, M. Ward, and the Secret Sisters. Manticore, the fifth proper studio album, emerged in February 2022; its songs had been written before the COVID-19 pandemic, yet the lockdowns gave the pair time to refine the instrumental parts. Something Is Working Up Above My Head arrived in 2024, offering road-honed character sketches such as “Colorado River” and “Love from a Dog” that preserve the bracing folk-punk drive of their concerts.