It was a bit of a surprise when it happened: In April 2021, Andrew Marlin and Emily Frantz, who to that point had built a nearly 10-year career as the band Mandolin Orange, announced they were changing their name to Watchhouse. Accompanying that message was the welcome news they’d be releasing a self-titled album on August 13 of that year. On its release, Watchhouse was widely praised for its combination of adherence to the sound the band had become known for while simultaneously exploring a more lush and expansive soundscape; as Rolling Stone magazine described it, “pristine acoustic picking collides with hazy, dream-like psychedelia.”

So now for another surprise.

On Friday, Marlin and Frantz released Watchhouse (Duo), a re-imagination of 2021’s Watchhouse but this time presented entirely in two-part arrangements featuring only Marlin and Frantz. Again, Watchhouse seamlessly blend the old and the new: the two-piece format is a return to the band’s origins while lyrically and thematically, Watchhouse (Duo) is firmly rooted in the now.

Watchhouse (Duo) was produced by Marlin at Echo Mountain Recording in Asheville, N.C., 200-plus miles west of the band’s home in the Triangle area.

The release of Watchhouse (Duo) marks the beginning of what will be a busy late summer and autumn for the band; August and September sees them playing shows around the U.S., including two nights at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville (Sept. 2 and 3), and a stop at the Palace Theatre in St. Paul on Thursday, Sept. 8. In October, Watchhouse will make their first-ever tour of Australia, with five dates scheduled so far. And then in November, Watchhouse will return to Europe for the first time since before the pandemic, with 14 dates scheduled across that month.

External Link

Watchhouse - official site