Watchhouse offered another preview of the duo’s forthcoming self-titled album with the new single “Beautiful Flowers”, released on Wednesday. Out on August 13th via Tiptoe Tiger Music / Thirty Tigers, Watchhouse will mark the first release for the outfit formerly known as Mandolin Orange under its new monicker.
On “Beautiful Flowers”, the duo of Andrew Marlin and Emily Frantz examines the development of the automotive industry through the lens of a butterfly. The clash of human progress and the natural order of nature is not as much condemned as it is seen through the neutral eyes of a passive observer, one that can’t begin to fathom the far-reaching implications of what would happen “In eighteen-hundred, eighty-five when/A man by the name of Ben/put three wheels together and an engine too/Had no idea it’d be the death of you.”
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Along with Watchhouse’s change in name comes an evolution of style. In previously released singles “Better Way” and “New Star“, Marlin and Frantz explored new soundscapes that didn’t fit as comfortably within the confines of their previously-established indie-folk identity. On “Beautiful Flowers”, however, the duo shows that Marlin’s Appalachain roots still run deep through the group—regardless of its name—and that these stylistic elements are forever a part of the band’s music.
“We’re different people than when we started this band,” Marlin says, reflecting on all these shifts. “We’re setting new intentions, taking control of this thing again.”
Listen to “Beautiful Flowers”, the latest single from Watchhouse. The group’s self-titled album is available here for pre-order.
Watchhouse – “Beautiful Flowers”
[Video: Watchhouse]