Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst make up Shovels & Rope, a musical duo who have been married for over a decade. As parents, bandmates, and creative collaborators, the pair have released four studio albums, two collaborative projects, and continue to build their reputation on sweat, skill, and yes, blood.
Trent and Hearst are accomplished musicians in their own right, but since dedicating themselves to Shovels & Rope full-time in 2008, they’ve made a career together and have carved out their niche in the music world. They now occupy a space that blends roots, indie, folk, and rock-inspired efforts to provide fans with a unique sound backed by powerful live shows, far-reaching tours, and myriad TV and festival appearances. In May of 2018, the duo recorded By Blood from their home studio, an album featuring ten vignettes that focus on vulnerable human characters with traits that endear the subject to listeners and that the songwriters recognize in themselves.
In addition to performing, Trent and Hearst are authors of the children’s book “C’mon Utah!,” curators of festivals, including the High Water Festival held in North Charleston that brings tens of thousands of people in, and film producers.