Chapel Hill folk duo Mandolin Orange will release a new studio album, Blindfaller, on September 30.

The album was recorded the Rubber Room in Chapel Hill.  It will be the band’s third album under the Hillsborough-based Yep Roc Records label following 2015’s Such Jubilee and 2013’s This Side of Jordan.

Mandolin Orange

Andrew Marlin and Emily Frantz of Mandolin Orange (Photo via Mandolin Orange)

Mandolin Orange features Andrew Marlin and Emily Frantz.  They met at a bluegrass jam session in 2009.  On Blindfaller, the duo is joined by Clint Mullican on bass, Kyle Keegan on drums, Allyn Love on pedal steel, and Josh Oliver on guitar, keys and vocals.

Most of Blindfaller was recorded live in the studio. In a release, Frantz said, “We’ve always liked to record fairly live.”

“We talked about the feel of each song and pointed out loosely who was going to be taking solos, but it was mostly a lot of fresh takes, a lot of eye contact, and a lot of nods and weird winks,” Marlin notes.

One of the tracks on Blindfaller is Wildfire, a song that focuses on the impact and lingering devastation of slavery.  Listen to Wildfire below.

Pre-order Blindfaller.