Today, Watchhouse (formerly Mandolin Orange) share the video for the loping, romantic “Upside Down,” the latest single from their new self-titled album out August 13. Directed by Elizabeth Weinberg and inspired by what Watchhouse’s Emily Frantz calls “the notion of having missed someone your whole life before you meet them,” the video captures a fleeting gas station ballet.
Says Weinberg: "I wanted to create a video about the wild, transformative experience of having a child that was more universal, something anyone could appreciate—the feeling of meeting someone whom you feel like you’ve known your whole life. I took inspiration from stories I’ve read about time slips: people driving into strange old towns on road trips, and the places they see and people they interact with are gone the next time they try to find them. I like the idea of the transient nature of the experience and the magic of this quick but meaningful interaction."
Watch “Upside Down” here: https://youtu.be/Dmj6Qqr5-dA
Says Watchhouse’s Emily Frantz about the track: "This song had a long and generous evolution. Andrew kept writing more parts and every time we’d think it was getting too twisty, we’d realize it was too late and the sections had become one. There are so many words here that resonate deeply, especially the notion of having missed someone your whole life before you meet them. In our case the inspiration came from a newborn, but it could be any person or relationship. I love how Elizabeth Weinberg’s video for the song expresses that feeling perfectly."
Produced by Andrew Marlin and Josh Kaufman (Bonny Light Horseman, The National), Watchhouse is a bold evolution from a group that for 10 years "redefined roots music for a younger generation" (Washington Post) as Mandolin Orange. MOJO, in a rave 4 star review, says that Watchhouse “celebrates the highs of new parenthood in all its dazed, anxious tenderness,” while American Songwriter says the album “may be their best work to date.”
“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.” Pre-order Watchhouse here: https://orcd.co/watchhouse
And watch the gorgeous and geometric video for “Better Way” (directed by Lachlan Turczan), which, according to Rolling Stone, “finds their typical pristine acoustic picking collides with hazy, dream-like psychedelia”: https://found.ee/WHBetterWayVideo
Watchhouse are currently on tour, with upcoming dates at the Ryman, BottleRock, FreshGrass, Red Rocks, and more. See full Watchhouse tour dates below.
Watchhouse Tracklist
“Wondrous Love”
“Better Way”
“Belly of the Beast”
“New Star”
“Upside Down”
“Lonely Love Affair”
“Coming Down From Green Mountain”
“Beautiful Flowers”
“Nightbird”
Watchhouse Tour Schedule
7/21 - Paradise Valley, MT - Pine Creek Lodge
7/22 - Paradise Valley, MT - Pine Creek Lodge
7/23 - White Sulphur Springs, MT- Red Ants Pants Music Festival
7/28 - Newport, RI - Newport Folk Festival
8/5 - Grand Rapids, MI - Meijer Gardens
8/6 - Louisville, KY - Iroquois Amphitheatre
8/7 - St. Louis, MO - Open Highway Festival
8/18 - Beaver Creek, CO - Vilar Performing Arts Center
8/19- Salt Lake City, UT - Red Butte Garden
8/20- Boise, ID - Idaho Botanical Garden
8/21 - Redmond, WA - CHOMP
8/27 - Fayetteville, AR - Fayetteville Roots Festival
8/29 - Greenfield, MA - Green River Festival
9/3 - Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium
9/4 - Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium
9/5 - Napa, CA - BottleRock
9/6 - Berkeley, CA - UC Theatre
9/16 - Lake Orion, MI - Wildwood Amphitheater
9/17 - Owensboro, KY - ROMP
9/18- Indianapolis, IN - Holler on the Square
9/25 - Cumberland, MD - DelFest
9/26 - North Adams, MA - FreshGrass
10/3 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre
10/8 - Rockbridge, OH - Hocking Hills Music Festival
10/9 - Decatur, AL - Princess Theatre
10/10 - Birmingham, AL - Lyric Theatre
10/13 - Houston, TX - The Heights Theater
10/14- Tulsa, OK - Cain’s Ballroom
10/15 - Dallas, TX - Majestic Theatre
10/16 - Austin, TX - Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater
11/10 - Knoxville, TN - Tennessee Theatre
11/11 - Atlanta, GA - The Eastern
11/12 - Athens, GA - Georgia Theatre
11/19 - Durham, NC - Durham Performing Arts Center
11/20 - Durham, NC - Durham Performing Arts Center
12/3 - Asheville, NC - Thomas Wolfe Auditorium
4/16/22 - New York, NY - Beacon Theatre
