Martha's Trouble
Auburn, Alabama, United States | SELF
Music
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Funded and promoted entirely through a Kickstarter.com campaign, the indie folk duo (comprised of Rob and Jen Slocumb) will self-release their lullabies-themed album “A Little Heart Like You” on May 8th. One of the more unique music projects that will be seen in 2012, the 10-track collection features both original and cover material. Martha’s Trouble continues to make the indie scene proud! - Red Bull USA
Funded and promoted entirely through a Kickstarter.com campaign, the indie folk duo (comprised of Rob and Jen Slocumb) will self-release their lullabies-themed album “A Little Heart Like You” on May 8th. One of the more unique music projects that will be seen in 2012, the 10-track collection features both original and cover material. Martha’s Trouble continues to make the indie scene proud! - Red Bull USA
My experience with bad children’s music must be why I instantly fell in love with Martha’s Trouble‘s new album of lullabies, “A Little Heart Like You.” A mix of traditional and original songs, the album is the 11th self-released record from the husband-and-wife duo. It’s the perfect lullaby album — soothing for Baby, not boring for Mom and Dad. If it had existed a few years ago, I wouldn’t have minded listening to it on repeat during nap time. - Parents Magazine
Indie Folk band sings lullabies.
Martha’s Trouble sings “Goodnight Sweet Child.” - Your Carolina with Jack & Kimberly
Indie Folk band sings lullabies.
Martha’s Trouble sings “Goodnight Sweet Child.” - Your Carolina with Jack & Kimberly
USA Today has selected Martha's Trouble Christmas Lights album to their Top Holiday Albums of the Year List - USA Today
MVY Radio, one of the world's largest internet radio stations, has selected Martha's Trouble to their adopt a band program. Program consist of radio time, sponsored concerts in Cape Cod/Martha's Vineyard, Guest Host a music hour on MVY Radio. - MVY Radio (Martha's Vineyard)
MVY Radio, one of the world's largest internet radio stations, has selected Martha's Trouble to their adopt a band program. Program consist of radio time, sponsored concerts in Cape Cod/Martha's Vineyard, Guest Host a music hour on MVY Radio. - MVY Radio (Martha's Vineyard)
Martha's Trouble's album, Forget October, charted at #3 on the XM Cafe Nude Music Reviews on XM Satellite Radio. - XM Satellite Radio
Martha's Trouble was nominated for 7 Just Plain Folk Awards and was invited to perform their nominated song, Brighter From Here for the awards show in Los Angeles. Their album, Sleeping Dogs, won Best Americana Album of the Year. - Just Plain Folk Awards
Martha's Trouble was nominated for 7 Just Plain Folk Awards and was invited to perform their nominated song, Brighter From Here for the awards show in Los Angeles. Their album, Sleeping Dogs, won Best Americana Album of the Year. - Just Plain Folk Awards
When an Ancaster native’s family hit upon hard times, she set upon making her own path in the world and found herself not only a musical partner but also a soulmate. Jen and Rob Slocumb began playing as Martha’s Trouble some 12 years ago after they met in a Houston coffee shop and then performed countless coffee houses across North America
and released nine albums over the next seven years. But five years ago, Jen found herself pregnant and the relentless touring of the husband and wife duo slowed down. Now five years later, Martha’s Trouble have two new additions to the family, Emery (five–years–old) and Wilson (three–years–old) and the Slocumb’s return to their old stomping grounds with their 10th CD, Anchor Tattoo. - View Magazine
For Martha's Trouble, audience interest has even been great enough to warrant an entire tour of fans' homes.
The Auburn, Ala.-based husband-and-wife folk/pop duo - Rob and Jen Slocumb - devised the "At Your House Tour" as a unique way to promote its 10th album, the self-released "Anchor Tattoo," issued earlier this year. The jaunt began in September, reaching as far north as New England, and runs through the last week of November.
"This summer, we were driving, I think from Alabama to Ontario, just always brainstorming different ways that we could promote our new record," Rob said at a recent visit to Billboard's New York offices. "We had this idea: what if we announced to our fans, 'We want to come play in your living room.' - Billboard Magazine
For Martha's Trouble, audience interest has even been great enough to warrant an entire tour of fans' homes.
The Auburn, Ala.-based husband-and-wife folk/pop duo - Rob and Jen Slocumb - devised the "At Your House Tour" as a unique way to promote its 10th album, the self-released "Anchor Tattoo," issued earlier this year. The jaunt began in September, reaching as far north as New England, and runs through the last week of November.
"This summer, we were driving, I think from Alabama to Ontario, just always brainstorming different ways that we could promote our new record," Rob said at a recent visit to Billboard's New York offices. "We had this idea: what if we announced to our fans, 'We want to come play in your living room.' - Billboard Magazine
With its 10th album, "Anchor Tattoo," the Alabama-based husband-and-wife duo Martha's Trouble continues to intensify the mystery as to why it remains a hidden gem. - Billboard Magazine
How the husband-and-wife pop/folk duo turned a family tradition into its new album.
From iPads to iPods, video games and all things electronic, it's not just adults who are so often receiving such a steady stream of stimuli these days. Kids are, too.
Folk duo Martha's Trouble decided to go unplugged in hopes that children might, as well. At least at bedtime.
The Alabama-based husband-and-wife tandem of Jen and Rob Slocumb today (May 8) released its 11th album, and first entirely geared toward children and parents specifically, "A Little Heart Like You." The set, timed to coincide with Mother's Day this Sunday (13), mixes centuries-old lullabies with new compositions penned by the pair. - Billboard Magazine
Five years ago, Martha’s Trouble, an Americana folk/pop duo, released a nationally, critically acclaimed album, Forget October. Since, the duo has all but been quiet, touring the country, writing and recording, preparing for the next leg of their epic adventure. The much-anticipated Anchor Tattoo the duo’s tenth self-released album. - Performing Songwriter
Discography
A Little Heart Like You (2012)
Anchor Tattoo (2011)
This Christmas (2009)
Ep (2008)
Forget October (2005)
Still (2003)
Sleeping Dogs (2002)
Christmas Lights (2002)
The Road Ahead (2000)
Tale of a Foreigner (1998)
Photos
Bio
The clamor and shouting are over, yet they buzz in the eardrum like a lingering memory. Outside, couples still high on the music laugh and call out in the cool evening. But inside the mood fades. A bartender swipes a damp towel across shiny wood. A lone figure coils amplifier cords on stage. She hunches over a robin’s egg blue suitcase as she works, her platinum faux-hawk standing at attention. She is Jen Slocumb, a woman of one-thousand haircuts, a singer of a thousand songs, a dreamer of one thousand dreams, lead vocalist for the Alabama-based Martha’s Trouble. The crowd screamed for her.
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Founding band/soul mates Jen and Rob Slocumb met 15 years ago with a twist of fate inside a Houston, Texas, coffee shop where Jen worked booking bands. Rob was home to see his parents after a music venture fizzled. It started as a simple bond over music. Time led them to realize it was something much more. The two fell in love and were married. They continued to write and play music, building up enough of a repertoire to start producing albums and touring around the country and the world.
Their work has not gone unnoticed. Some of the most influential and well-respected music critics of our time have paid tribute to the duo. They have been listed and featured in Billboard Magazine, USA Today, AOL Music, XM Satellite Radio and Performing Songwriter. Their songs have received awards and have been featured in made-for-TV movies shown to national audiences, such as:
-"Some Peace Tonight" was used in an episode of Army Wives
- “Brighter From Here” was part of the soundtrack to the Lifetime Network’s made-for-TV movie “Playing House” (original air date May 15, 2006)
- “Some Peace tonight” featured in soundtrack for CBS made-for-TV movie “It Must Be Love.”
-Best Americana Album of the Year (Just Plain Folk Awards)
-Forget October Charts at #3 on XM Cafe's Nude Music Reviews, XM Satellite Radio
-Christmas Lights selected USA Today's Top Holiday Albums of the Year list.
-Cover of "Nothings Gonna Stop Us Now" selected Billboard Magazine's Top 10 Cover Songs of the Year.
And all of it is part of a dream that is still in the works. A dream that Jen and Rob keep on dreaming. The duo now lives in Auburn, Ala. Not exactly where they pictured themselves, but they wouldn’t give it up. Jen, from Ontario, Canada, and Rob, from Nashville, TN, are sure they’re where they are supposed to be. Everything the couple has done has been in pursuit of a musical dream, one that, so far, has paid off.
“I think about the years we spent living in a van, traveling across the country and it’s hard to believe that we did that,” Jen said. “Now we have two children, a mortgage, bills, a dog … things that wouldn’t fit in the van. But those times help us remember what Martha’s Trouble means.”
Martha’s Trouble comes from a story in the Bible about two sisters, Martha and Mary. Jesus came to see them one day. Martha was running around, trying to clean up and prepare food while Mary was hanging out at Jesus’ feet. The story says Martha was “troubled” because Mary wasn’t helping. The story, the duo says, is a reminder to stop and smell the roses, the idea of keeping an eye on the bigger picture and the important things in life.
Indie folk duo Martha’s Trouble has completed its album of lullabies for children entitled “A Little Heart Like You.” Featuring 10 songs (see full track listing below), the album includes four original songs, four traditional songs, one “mash-up” (of “You Are So Beautiful” and Brahm’s Lullaby,” dubbed “Slocumb’s Lullaby”), and one song that includes three bedtime prayers put to music. The duo created a very organic, acoustic record, utilizing soothing, calming instruments and repetitive beats (with only hand percussion such as djembe, cajon, kanjira, and frame drum) for a sound that is both feel-good and relaxing.
Says Jen of the album: “Since we’ve been touring the country for years, I’ve had mothers come up to me all the time and say, ‘My child knows your voice,’ ‘We play your music for my children and it calms them down.’ We’ve been asked time and time again, ‘When are you going to do a children’s CD?’ Well, this is it. These are the songs that we sing to our kids and have since they were babies. The Martha’s Trouble lullaby album is a collection of music that works not only for babies, but for older children as well. In this busy world that our kids are growing up in, we all need a little peace and we hope that this music will bring a little of that to children at bedtime.”
The duo plans to embark on a summer tour in support of the new album (tour dates will be announced later this spring). Martha’s Trouble most recently completed the “At Your House” concert tour in the fall of 2011, which saw them performing at house concerts ranging across the East Coast and Southeast. The “At Your House” tour w
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