FAMILY AFFAIR
Shovels & Rope duo balance parenting, performing
Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst have learned how to achieve balance in their lives.
Although it can be difficult at times, they’ve got a system.
Between writing and performing music and being parents, the two feel like it can all be intertwined.
“Being a parent has made us more sensitive,” Hearst says. “We’ve also have had to become more disciplined. It’s all changed for the better, and it requires plenty of organization, like anything else in life does. We’ve also set up some boundaries.”
Trent says, “Since the kids were born, we have to schedule the opportunity to be creative. So we have to balance the parent thing along with traveling and writing.”
Trent and Heart make up the folk duo Shovels & Rope. They are touring in support of their latest album, “By Blood.”
Shovels & Rope will perform a sold-out show at Meow Wolf in Santa Fe on Nov. 1.
Work on “By Blood” began in May 2018, while Trent and Hearst were on break from touring.
It took a few months for them to gather enough material to make the 10-song album.
“A 10-song record feels good, especially in how music is consumed today,” Trent says. “We had a couple more for the album but decided that 10 was enough. The other two can be bonus tracks later.”
“By Blood” was the last track written for the album.
“It did feel like this song summarized everything, in a way,” Trent says. “We’ve gone through a lot of changes in the last few years, being parents and the way family is woven into what we do. It wasn’t our marketing strategy.”
Trent says the duo planned to make the album a “big dramatic record.”
“It’s an interesting process,” Hearst says. “We spend a lot of time working to make sure there’s something for everybody. We want our music and our shows to have an arc. You’re taking people on an emotional journey, and the way it sounds and is presented is very important.”
That’s why the duo don’t create a set list for its tours.
“Everything comes together as a show,” Trent says. “There’s intent behind everything that we do. We want to be able to transport the audience into this world we’ve created. It’s amazing that we’re able to do this on a daily basis when we have to. We look forward to getting to new places each time we head out on tour.”