Inspired by songs sung to their own children at bedtime, Auburn’s folk/pop duo Martha’s Trouble plans an album of lullabies, which could possibly be released by Mother’s Day.
“There’s a lot of great lullabies out there that have been around for years that people just don’t know about anymore, or it’s kind of like a lost art form to me,” said Jen Slocumb, half of husband-and-wife group. “It’s kind of something that’s been overlooked, and it’s been around for centuries — parents singing to their kids.”
Jen said she and her husband, Rob, plan to write and record some original lullabies along with some classics including “Hush Little Baby,” “You Are My Sunshine” and “Jesus Loves Me.” They will be recording all songs in their style of folk with pop essence.
“We want to say true to our sound anyway, so it will be not just for babies, but for kids and adults as well,” Jen said.
Faced with the task of putting their own children to sleep, Jen and Rob sometimes played music to help them drift off, Jen said. When the group brainstormed musical plans for 2012, this inspired the lullabies album.
“Basically, we’re taking what we do with our kids and putting it on a CD,” she said.
Jen said the album is intended to be played in a variety of environments including daycares, hospitals and schools.
“I think it’s important for kids to have a sense of security and knowing that they’re loved, and I think
that’s important when they’re young,” she said.
To fund the album, Martha’s Trouble is using Kickstarter, a website donors can use to pledge money before the album is created. Donors are not charged the amount until the campaign is over. The donor would essentially be buying the album in advance to fund the project.
If their $10,000 goal is not met by Feb. 17, the project will be delayed until a later date. More than half of their goal has already been met.
The duo decided to make the South, and Auburn specifically, their home, Jen said, because the proximity between cities makes the region good to tour.
Martha’s Trouble got its name from a Bible story. Martha’s Trouble, Jen said, was that she got caught up in things that don’t matter. Music by the group can be found on iTunes, YouTube, Pandora radio and www.marthastrouble.com.
