Watchhouse (Photo by Shervin Lainez)
Folk duo Watchhouse return to the DC metro area to perform at Wolf Trap on Wednesday, July 7.
Formerly known as Mandolin Orange, Watchhouse recently shared “Beautiful Flowers,” a slow-blooming elegy to a butterfly that takes an existential look at automotive expansion, the interconnectedness of nature, and the little-considered costs of industrialized society.
Though the new song’s topics are ambitious, it’s delivered in a thoughtful and poetic cadence by Watchhouse’s Emily Frantz — a plainspoken reflection that exemplifies the ingenious songwriting of her bandmate Andrew Marlin and the duo’s bewitching musical chemistry.
“Beautiful Flowers” comes from Watchhouse, the first record from the duo under their new name, scheduled for release on Aug. 13 via Tiptoe Tiger Music/ Thirty Tigers. Produced by Andrew Marlin and Josh Kaufman (Bonny Light Horseman, The National), Watchhouse weaves Andrew’s Appalachian-steeped songwriting into sonic patchworks that pull from American primitivism and ambient composition.
Stream “Beautiful Flowers” by Watchhouse on YouTube:
Watchhouse have “redefined roots music for a younger generation” (Washington Post) as over the past decade they’ve gone from playing coffee shops to headlining the Ryman and Red Rocks. Their 2019 album Tides Of A Teardrop was a runaway hit that lead to the band’s first ever national TV performances on CBS Saturday and the TODAY Show as well as an NPR Tiny Desk. Rolling Stone says Tides is “compelling…a new step for the band, and one that’s rewarding to hear.”
Watchhouse
Wolf Trap
Wednesday, July 7
Show @ 8pm
$27+
All ages