MANDOLIN ORANGE
sound
check The pandemic put their 10-year touring streak on hold, but Mandolin Orange is content, for now By M o rg an Cart i er Weston | Photography by Kendal l B ai l ey
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mily Frantz and Andrew Marlin have spent the past year at their home in Chapel Hill, pressing pause on their busy touring schedule as Mandolin Orange for the first time in more than a decade. “The days are kind of flying by, but also blurring together at the same time,” Andrew says. Although the pandemic has disrupted their normal, it has also been an opportunity for the duo to create in new ways. “We have been working on a lot of recording projects this year that started before everything shut down,” Emily says. “Throughout the year, Andrew has also been writing and working on a ton of instrumental stuff.” This is a new turn for the songwriter; his work for Mandolin Orange has always been lyrically focused. “It has actually worked out really well, because instrumental music lends itself to much safer recording sessions,” Andrew adds. Emily’s
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chapelhillmagazine.com
March 2021