Shovels & Rope Announce New Album By Blood, Share First Track “The Wire”

Shovels & Rope, the alt-country duo made up of husband/wife team Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent, are back with their first new bit of music since 2016. The pair announced today (Jan. 15) their new album, By Blood, will arrive on April 12, and shared its first single, “The Wire,” which you can hear below.

“The Wire” is a bold first single in the best way. It’s noticeably mod, though Hearst’s usual soulful, gritty vocals are fully intact, as are the band’s rootsy grooves. Shovels & Rope have always fit comfortably under the ever-expanding Americana umbrella, though here there’s more rock ‘n’ roll, and it’s lots of fun. What’s not fun, however, is apologizing, an act that doesn’t come easily to this song’s character: “There’s nothing I can say but I’m sorry now / I’ll try to make it up to you somehow.”

By Blood follows 2016’s Little Seeds, and, like that album, it was recorded in the couple’s home studio and produced by Trent. This album cycle, however, is particularly special, as the record’s release date falls in line with High Water Festival, the festival Trent and Hearst host annually in their hometown of Charleston, S.C. This year’s fest is happening on April 13-14, and headliners include Leon Bridges, The Head and the Heart, Lord Huron and Jenny Lewis. See the full lineup here.

Again you can listen to “The Wire” below. While you’re here, watch Shovels & Rope perform “Cavalier” in Nashville circa 2013 via the Paste vault, and keep scrolling for the By Blood album art and Shovels & Rope’s tour dates.

By Blood Album Art:

Shovels & Rope Tour Dates:

April
13 – North Charleston, S.C. @ High Water Festival
14 – North Charleston, S.C. @ High Water Festival

May
24 – Axton, Va. @ Rooster Walk Festival

June
15 – Manchester, Tenn. @ Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival
28 – Jacksonville, Fla. @ Daily’s Place Amphitheater *
29 – Boca Raton, Fla. @ Mizner Park Amphitheater *
30 – St. Petersburg, Fla. @ Al Lang Stadium *

July
03 – Orange Beach, Ala. @ Wharf Amphitheater *
05 – Charleston, S.C. @ Volvo Car Stadium *
06 – Simpsonville, S.C. @ Heritage Park Amphitheatre *
07 – Charlotte, N.C. @ PNC Music Pavilion *
09 – Raleigh, N.C. @ Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek *
13 – Gilford, N.H. @ Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion *
14 – Saratoga Springs, N.Y. @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center *
16 – Canandaigua, N.Y. @ Constellation Brands – Marvin Sands PAC *
19 – Cincinnati, Ohio @ PNC Pavilion *
20 – Huber Heights, Ohio @ Rose Music Center at The Heights *
23 – Rochester Hills, Mich. @ Meadow Brook Amphitheatre *
24 – Indianapolis, Ind. @ Farm Bureau Insurance Lawn at White River State Park *
26 – Morrison, Colo. @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre *
27 – Morrison, Colo. @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre *
30 – St. Louis, Mo. @ The Fox Theatre *
31 – Brandon, Miss. @ Brandon Amphitheater *

August
02 – Atlanta, Ga. @ The Fox Theatre *
03 – Atlanta, Ga. @ The Fox Theatre *

November
11-14 – Punta Cana, Dominican Republic @ All The Best Festival

(* – with Tedeschi Trucks Band)