The critically acclaimed duo of Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent, also known as Shovels & Rope, are set to release their sophomore album Swimmin’ Time on August 25th with Dine Alone/Dualtone. A Deluxe Edition will also be available featuring two extra tracks and a video of “The Devil Is All Around.”
Swimmin’ Time is the highly-anticipated follow up to the band’s 2012 breakthrough debut O’ Be Joyful, which garnered unanimous praise from the press, followed by dozens of sold-out shows, national television appearances, numerous year-end lists, impressive album sales, and major festival performances. To cap it all off, Shovels & Rope took home two of the top honors, Song of the Year (“Birmingham”) and Emerging Artist of the Year at the 2013 Americana Music Awards.
On Swimmin’ Time (a title that nods to the aquatic theme running through the disc’s songs) Hearst and Trent bob and weave through a combination of witty, playful tales (like “Fish Assassin”) and brooding murder ballads (like the horn-tinged New Orleans shuffle “Ohio”) with a rare combination of intimacy and swagger. “We weren’t trying to make a particular kind of record, but we knew early on that there would be some evolution,” said Trent, who also produced Swimmin’ Time, in a press release. “There are all kinds of dark undertones, but there are other colors, too. Every song kind of played off, and built on, the ones that came before, so they fit together really well.” That seamless construction helps Swimmin’ Time slide past the ears and into the memory banks with remarkable ease, each of its songs leaving a bit of an indelible mark.
Shovels & Rope has appeared on “The Late Show with David Letterman” and PBS’ “Austin City Limits,” while coverage ran in a multitude of outlets including “The New Yorker,” “Wall Street Journal,” “USA Today,” “New York Times,” and “Associated Press.
Upcoming Canadian tour dates include:
09.28 – Montreal, QC @ Corona Theatre
09.30 – Toronto, ON @ The Phoenix
11.12 – Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theatre
Photo: Shovels & Rope
