Hours after Barack Obama took his oath of office on Jan. 20, 2009, Carrboro, N.C., burrito joint Armadillo Grill hosted an old-time music jam. That night, Andrew Marlin, a self-taught guitarist, found a complement and foil in Emily Frantz, a well-studied fiddler. The collaboration that started then quickly adopted the name Mandolin Orange, and the duo’s debut, Quiet Little Room, arrived in 2010. Third album, the magnificent This Side Of Jordan (Yep Roc), Mandolin Orange surges with a full band’s depth without sacrificing any of the front-porch closeness or weary sincerity of previous efforts. Mandolin Orange will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our brand new feature on the duo.
Andrew: Mike Kemnitzer is the maker of Nugget mandolins and has put together some of the most amazing instruments I have ever played. I have had the pleasure of playing two A-style Nugget mandolins, and it’s a wonder that I ever put them down. I have played some pretty awesome Lloyd Loar F-styles, and I have to say, Nugget has my heart. Please help me to overcome criminal intent upon finding number three.
Video after the jump.
