Other Brother Darryl move forward with a heavy heart on ‘Until I Do’
Boston cosmic canyon rock band unveil tender debut single on November 18
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Other Brother Darryl perform live November 18 at NYC’s Underwater Sunshine Fest
Photo Credit: Chris Valle
BOSTON, MA [November 18, 2022] – Time has a way of manipulating our every move. For Other Brother Darryl, the Boston-based alt-county supergroup set to release its debut single “Until I Do” on Friday, November 18, time has been both a blessing and a curse.
The cosmic canyon rock group, led by Boston music scene veterans Dan Nicklin, Nate Leavitt, Dave Mirabella, and later rounded out by Dan Cedarholm, was first conceptualized a decade ago at long-lost Somerville venue Radio, its members bonding over The Jayhawks, Wilco, and the various projects each had been a part of over the many years spent in the trenches of a local music scene. But time was on their side, and after loose exchanges of ideas it would be seven years before the group began writing music together, crafting the harmony-driven, Americana-leaning sound that their spectral surroundings and sharp songwriting acumen were destined to produce. Then Covid hit, and the world stood still. And then, this past April, their world collapsed: Mirabella passed away unexpectedly, leaving an empty space within Other Brother Darryl both as musicians and friends. Suddenly, time, once a casual asset, became anything but.
So when Other Brother Darryl release “Until I Do” on November 18, complete with accompanying music video, a b-side demo titled “The Ballad of Joni & Graham,” and a live performance that night at Underwater Sunshine Festival at Rockwood Music Hall in New York City, the timing of it all will once again be front and center. And they’ll raise a glass to their fallen brother and longtime collaborator.
“The invitation to play Underwater Sunshine Festival and slowly coming to terms with Dave’s absence both have some influence in finally releasing the first Other Brother Darryl song,” says Nicklin. “I personally wasn’t sure we would ever release it, because it’s a fine line to tow, feeling like you are doing right by your missing bandmate.”
Mirabella contributes vocals and guitar to “Until I Do,” making it an obvious choice as an introduction to the sonic landscape of Other Brother Darryl, a weathered and worn twirl of country and roots, where storytelling and songwriting are interwoven and the chemistry amongst its players shine out through the speakers with an enchanting depth. Lyrically, “Until I Do” centers around a lost friendship or a lost love, the kind you always hold close despite being forced to walk away from. Its subject matter adds another layer of context to a band hurting on the inside, but carrying forth because making music, in good times and in bad, is what musicians are meant to do.
“Musically it sums up everything we’re trying to be as a band,” says Leavitt. “The sound, instruments, songwriting, harmonies. It just sounds like Other Brother Darryl.” Nicklin agrees: “I think this tune, in particular, one of the earlier song ideas that sat idle for eight years until we started writing in earnest, is a good choice. The song has also taken on a double meaning for me since it seems to apply to the band moving forward, but always with Dave in our hearts.”
A leap for the band moving forward arrives November 18 with the release of “Until I Do” and the live performance at Underwater Music Fest, an event Mirabella was eager to play. When the invitation came to Other Brother Darryl, it set certain pieces in motion, pieces that began with the band – and yeah, that moniker is a Newhart reference – meeting regularly on Monday nights pre-pandemic at Nicklin’s Henley Row Studio in Stoneham. For a collection of musicians that often wrote music for themselves and for others, crafting the sound of Other Brother Darryl was a natural extension – as if they were all writing for the other person in the room.
“The ideas came from a lot of different places,” Leavitt adds. “Some were very old, stray ideas looking for a home, written together on the spot or in between sessions. Pretty quickly parts would start flying around the room. In most cases we’d have something we thought sounded cool in about an hour. By the end of the night we’d have a demo on our phones to listen to on the drive home. Week after week a new song would emerge from each writing session. The songs truly came to life when Dan asked drummer Dan Cedarholm to come by. Having the four of us in a room playing those songs was special. It was a different experience writing with very strong songwriters. When I listen back to the early phone recordings of our sessions I hear lots of laughing and excitement. Reading our texts from back then it was clear the music we were making and the way we were making it was unique for us. For me it was the most inspired I had been in a long time. Dave said it best in a text: ‘I am SO inspired and energized by what we have going on. I love the music we are making and the way we are making it’.”
That’s also apparent on the demo cut of b-side “The Ballad of Joni & Graham,” where all four members of Other Brother Darryl sat in front of a single microphone and sang and played, creating a stripped down, atmospheric track that floats in the air with tender ease. “It was a rare moment capturing all of us together,” says Leavitt. “We wanted to share that with everyone.”
Nicklin promises to wear his custom Dave Mirabella t-shirt on stage at every Other Brother Darryl show, starting with the festival gig in NYC. And he says the band has been in contact with the Mirabella family, including his musician brother Mike, who Dave shared the stage with in The Rationales, keeping them updated with progress and confirming the family’s plans for his portion of the music. “The bottom line is we are doing this for Dave as well,” Nicklin notes. “These are his songs too and they should be heard; he was prolific as a songwriter and the world should know. That is how he can be honored.”
And it helps Other Brother Darryl heal. This way, they can begin to take back a hold on time. After “Until I Do,” and after the live show, the future of Other Brother Darryl hangs in the balance. There’s a debut album, Roll Shine Roll, echoing a playful phrase that’s become the band’s official motto, and that’s set for release sometime next year. But first, there are more pressing matters at hand.
“Dave’s loss was completely unexpected so it’s been hard all around – nevermind the band,” Leavitt concludes. “By playing the songs we keep a part of Dave with us. We think we’re doing right by him. None of us have ever been through something like this so there’s some doubt. The least we can do is give people an opportunity to hear how much of a great songwriter he was. I feel fortunate we were able to have written an album's worth of material. Even though we only have a handful of vocal and guitar parts recorded by Dave, he exists in every song. We’re just taking it one tune at a time.”
Media Contact: Please direct all press inquiries to Michael Marotta at michael@publisist.co or Nate Leavitt at nateleavittmusic@gmail.com.
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‘Until I Do’ single artwork:
Design Credit: Dan Cedarholm, IG: @simplebits
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Other Brother Darryl is:
Dan Nicklin: Vocals, percussion
Nate Leavitt: Vocals, acoustic guitar
Dave Mirabella: Vocals, acoustic guitar
Dan Cedarholm: drums
Also performing on ‘Until I Do’:
Ed Valauskas: Bass
Matt Odabashian: Organ
Phil Aiken: Wurlitzer
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‘Until I Do’ credits:
Written and produced by Other Brother Darryl
Recorded at Henley Row Studios in Stoneham, MA
Engineered and mixed by Dan Nicklin
Mastered by Brian Charles
Cover art by Dan Cedarholm
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‘Until I Do’ lyrics:
It don’t matter to me, I won’t shed a tear
Won’t let my eyes weep for you
The rungs on the ladder are deep, I keep climbing clear
Won’t rest my head until I do
So you go your way I’ll go mine
Maybe our paths will cross in time
If they don’t don’t worry
You won’t cross my mind
It don’t matter to me, I won’t shed a tear
Won’t let my eyes weep for you
The rungs on the ladder are deep, I keep climbing clear
Won’t rest my head until I do
So I ask myself, who are you
I know us, I know me too
But I’m still finding broken bones at my feet
Broken bones sticks and stones
So you go your way I’ll go mine
Maybe our paths will cross in time
If they don’t don’t worry
You’re always in my heart
It don’t matter to me, I won’t shed a tear
Won’t let my eyes weep for you
The rungs on the ladder are deep, I keep climbing clear
Won’t rest my head until I do
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Other Brother Darryl short bio:
Other Brother Darryl are a Boston-based alt-country supergroup made up of singer-songwriters Dan Nicklin, Nate Leavitt, Dave Mirabella and Dan Cedarholm. First coming together over a love of big folk harmonies, the cosmic canyon rock sound of The Jayhawks and Wilco, and the television series Newhart, the seeds of Other Brother Darryl were first conceptualized back in 2012 at the defunct Somerville rock club Radio, where each member would perform frequently with their respective projects. An endless string of conversations, local Boston rock shows, and beers would line the next several years, and in 2019, Other Brother Darryl would make good on a promise to each other to bring their collective creative vision to life and write and record the album they were always meant to. On November 18, 2022, Other Brother Darryl release debut single, “Until I Do,” b/w “The Ballad of Joni & Graham,” the same night they would perform live at Underwater Sunshine Fest in New York City. Debut record Roll Shine Roll, recorded at Nicklin’s Henley Row Studios, is set for 2023 release, and it is dedicated to fallen bandmate and close friend Dave Mirabella, who passed away suddenly in April.
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Press Contact: Michael Marotta at michael@publisist.co
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