Mandolin Orange’s Andrew Marlin and Emily Frantz are loyal—loyal to the serene Americana that shaped their first three albums and matured with 2013’s This Side of Jordan, their first on Hillsborough’s Yep Roc, and loyal to the road, as they’ve devoted an incredible amount of time to touring in recent years.
But as the Chapel Hill duo’s latest single, “Old Ties and Companions,” shows, they are also loyal to their location and roots. An ode to that restful home, it’s the opener to their upcoming album Such Jubilee, due May 5 through Yep Roc. The song finds Marlin reflecting on the fun, fleeting nature of travel. Frantz harmonizes as the two celebrate touring’s adventures even while longing for “just sitting on a fence.”
Mandolin Orange’s loyalties may seem to be at odds—that is, home versus the road. But in the middle of this struggle sits the duo’s unwavering grace. With Such Jubilee, Mandolin Orange seems not to have veered from their elegant folk, and that’s great news, as it seems to get only better and better.
In anticipation of Such Jubilee’s release, Mandolin Orange will perform May 2 at Memorial Hall in Chapel Hill.