Making Music
By Lisa Rossi
Excerpted from Love Through the Stages, which originally appeared in the January/February 2010 issue
Singer/songwriter Andrew Marlin says his romance with Mandolin Orange bandmate Emily Frantz – kindled one year ago at a bluegrass jam in Carrboro – influences the music they create in both profound and practical ways.
“Just [being] on stage with her keeps me relaxed,” he says. “A lot of times my mouth will get me in trouble, and she’ll hit me with her bow.”
For her part, Emily says they are in tune and communicate in many verbal and non-verbal ways on stage. “In the middle of a song we can look at each other during a certain part and know exactly what to do.”
THE STATS Andrew and Emily, both 22, are Carrboro residents.
BACKGROUND Emily grew up in Chapel Hill (CHHS class of 2005), where her father, Elman, is a doctor and her mother, Janese, is a nurse, both employed at UNC Hospitals. Andrew moved here in 2008 from his hometown of Warrenton to embark on his music career.
A SONG FOR EMILY Andrew tells the story during their performances about the time Emily left town for a week and how he missed her so much he needed to write her a song. “It was the first time we’ve been apart for that long; I was down in the dumps,” he explains. The resulting song, “These Old Wheels,” talks about the aimlessness of silence and “how I love to hear ‘I love you’ in a dry morning tone.” CHM
