Shovels & Rope: Cary Ann Hearst, Michael Trent play Thursday at Tivoli Theatre

Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst are Shovels & Rope. They will play the Tivoli on Thursday. / Facebook.com Photo

Chattanooga has become a regular stop for Shovels & Rope, the singing duo comprised of husband and wife Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst, and it's not just because they enjoy performing here as they will do Thursday night, May 30, at the Tivoli Theatre.

There are also reasons that are likely familiar to most of us. Grandma lives here. The two now have two children, "so we'll have a much bigger group of family at the show all paying attention to them and not us," Hearst laughs.

She said the carousel at Coolidge Park has become a favorite spot for the family. And their 2016 album, "Little Seeds," features a track called "Missionary Ridge," which references the 1863 Battle of Missionary Ridge.

Having two kids has definitely changed their outlooks on life, but has not altered their work schedules, Trent says.

"We were kind of living in the wind before, and now we have a couple of kids," he says. "This our job now. It's a great job, but we have to look out for them."

Hearst says she thinks about the future a lot more since the arrival of their children.

"Oh yeah. I was always the eternal optimist, and we wanted to have kids because I feel like good people should have and raise good people because we need to have good people, but it can make you feel overwhelmed by the world's problems. I think we all need to better ourselves to leave the world a better place.

In addition to writing, recording and touring, the couple embarked on a new project this year at the suggestion of filmmaker Curtis Millard. His original idea was to film some of the duo's shows, but he suggested they turn the project into a film with a story about a down-on-his-luck guy utilizing the concert footage.

Hearst says when "Shovels & Rope The Movie" (https://youtu.be/-_Ozl1TRfVw) is released later this summer, fans will have the option to watch the full movie or just the concerts, and they can download the music as well. Trent says Millard did the heavy lifting on the project, but he and Hearst were involved in the writing and development of the project.

"We were really involved actually. He was the driving force and we kind went off and did our thing for awhile, but when it was time, we were there."

He says it was a fun project because it was outside of their wheelhouse, but that they would only consider doing it again if it was the right project.

"It'd have to be the right story. Party of the reason we did it was we know and respect everyone involved."

Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.