Over the last fifteen years, the lauded folk and Americana band Watchhouse, composed of husband-and-wife duo Andrew Marlin and Emily Frantz, has turned in some of the more tender and beautiful songs of our time, garnering them a reputation as not only masterfully introspective storytellers but also as one of the most respected acts in the modern folk scene.
Together, they have formed a chemistry that has produced some of the most nuanced and harmony-driven soundscapes of the past decade and a half, starting out by playing small gigs in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, in 2009 before going on to tour internationally as a breakout Americana act. This Friday, July 17th, they will be gracing the stage at The Caverns, a short drive from Downtown Chattanooga.
I first discovered Watchhouse in 2013. It was my freshman year of college, and I lived off campus in a dusty, lonely country town an hour south of Atlanta. They had just released their breakout album, This Side of Jordan.
Songs like “There Was a Time,” “Waltz About Whiskey,” and “Hey Adam” burrowed their way into my heart and mind and managed to stay there until this very day. Their music helped me through the toughest times, and it has done the same for thousands of fans and artists for over seventeen years.
For years the band performed under the name Mandolin Orange, and in 2021 they decided to change their name to Watchhouse, as they thought it reflected who they were more accurately and that Watchhouse showcased their growth more as artists and individuals.
Albums like Such Jubilee in 2015, Blindfaller in 2016, and Tides of a Teardrop in 2019 all contributed to them becoming a breakout act in the Americana world, coupled with their lush vocal harmonies and reflective songwriting, all tied together with their acoustic instrumentation, with Andrew often playing the mandolin or guitar with Emily on the fiddle.
In 2025, they released Rituals, their eighth studio album, marking 15 years since the release of their first album, Quiet Little Room. Songs like "Shape," which is the first song on the record, feel meditative, serene, and more stripped down.
Immediately there is a warmth to the project, and it is chock-full of emotional depth, while adding some experimentation with psychedelic influences too. It explores growth and finding meaning through the everyday rituals of life.
In speaking with Andrew Marlin, acclaimed singer-songwriter and one half of the iconic duo, about how the band’s music has evolved over the decades, he mentioned not being able to separate himself from the songs and that the music has changed and grown up with the band.
“I can’t be separated from the songs. They came from my hands and my heart, so what I see is personal growth. I see how my views and how I fit into the world have changed. All the different awarenesses that come about as the years go by and experiences happen. I think that’s what I hear most of all; the music has kind of just changed and grown up with us and expanded with us, and I’m still fascinated by it.”
Andrew went on to discuss how personal the songs are to him and how one track can capture multiple different points of his life, helping wrangle the massive emotional landscape into something that has a foundation and is rooted.
“I’m always surprised when people do sit down to experience the records. I feel like all the songs are super personal and molded over time, so there’s a lot of different parts of my life and times in my life all wrapped up in one song. It becomes this very large emotional landscape rather than trying to get a single point across. The music helps wrangle it all and gives more foundation to lyrics that may feel more ethereal or more interpretive. You can combine that with the music, and all of a sudden it conveys a larger point.”
When asked about memories of Chattanooga, he spoke to nature and the walkability of the Scenic City while reflecting on how beautiful it is here.
“Our bass player, Clint, is actually from Chattanooga originally. I remember how walkable the city is and how beautiful it is there. We went to this one restaurant tucked up on this hill that had a lot of trees around it. It felt different than I was expecting, like this sweet little mountain town. We hope to be back there soon.”
From This Side of Jordan in 2013 to Rituals in 2025, the highly acclaimed Americana and indie-folk duo Watchhouse has released an impressive array of albums and songs that have touched the lives of countless folks and helped shape the booming Americana scene.
For over a decade and a half, their soundscapes have balanced quiet, reflective intimacy with emotionally insightful and evocative lyrics that have seen them creating deeply personal tracks that resonate universally, making them one of the most celebrated acts in all of roots music, and one of my favorite bands of all time. Don’t miss a chance to catch them underground this Friday, July 17th, at The Caverns.
Watchhouse
- Friday, July 17. 9 p.m.
- The Caverns. 555 Charlie Roberts Road, Pelham, TN.
- $78.54
- thecaverns.com
- watchhouseband.com