Latest release from Watchhouse, 'Rituals' is out now!

Rituals, the long-awaited new studio album from North Carolina duo Watchhouse (Andrew Marlin & Emily Frantz), is officially out now via Tiptoe Tiger Music / Thirty Tigers. Co-produced with Ryan Gustafson (The Dead Tongues), the 11-track collection marks Watchhouse’s first album of entirely new, original songs since their acclaimed 2021 self-titled release, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Bluegrass chart and earned praise from Rolling Stone, NPR Music, Mojo, American Songwriter, and more.

With Rituals, Watchhouse invites listeners into a world shaped by small moments and big transformations. The album glows with the quiet beauty of daily life — lullabies at dawn, unspoken gestures, and the grounding rhythm of routine - all while balancing a subtle darkness. The result is a gently radiant meditation on change, love, and the spaces in between. 

Woven with the duo’s signature acoustic textures, Rituals blends layered arrangements and soothing vocal harmonies into an album that is as intimate as it is expansive — a sonic embrace in uncertain times.

Introducing Watchhouse's new album, 'Rituals'

Watchhouse has announced a new studio album called Rituals, due out May 30, 2025 via Tiptoe Tiger Music / Thirty Tigers. The collection marks the pair’s first release of all new, original songs since their 2021 self-titled album, which earned praise from Rolling Stone (“pristine acoustic picking collides with hazy, dream-like psychedelia”) Mojo, NPR Music, American Songwriter and more.

Rituals, co-produced with Ryan Gustafson (The Dead Tongues), explores the boundaries between identity and awareness, and how we often confuse patterns with truths. The 11-song collection muses on the endless nature of evolution, asking questions like: how can we have a positive relationship with change? How can we meet our ends gracefully? “Is the world on fire or at home in the sun?”

“All Around You,” the first track released from the album, features layered guitars, a steady beat and floating vocal harmonies. The song wrestles with how we often view home as a destination, just as we look back longing for the past. It ultimately arrives at an understanding that wherever we are, we are already home, emphasizing that trusting in our own awareness allows us to face the future with the wisdom we’ve acquired.

NIVA's 2024 Live List

Humbird has been included in his year’s NIVA Live List along bands like Angie McMahon, Jake Xerxes Fussell, and The Beaches.

The Live List is the definitive list of independent entertainment industry insiders’ favorite live performers. NIVA, SARA Live and The Black List aggregated anonymous votes from more than 1,000 NIVA members consisting of independent music and comedy venues, festivals and promoters to discover the most exciting up-and-coming live acts and established artists who toured in 2024.

Check out music and upcoming shows from Humbird below!