Boston alt-country and Americana collective explore human connection in a disconnected world with sophomore album out Friday, June 26
There’s a well-known adage in the music industry about how a band has their entire life to write their first album, and then a short burst of time to deliver their second, usually under a scrutinous glow of the debut and all the expectations conceived from it. It’s an indictment of life as a musician and a songwriter, and usually painted in a negative light.
But for some bands, including Boston-based Americana collective Other Brother Darryl, that tight window to deliver a follow-up can be a blessing, where pressure fades in favor of focus, an understanding of the sound and vision emerges with clarity, and a sense of sharpened identity helps extract a soul of the band that’s now fully-formed.
That sentiment is at play through blissful harmonic excess with Hey Yeah Hey, the Boston cosmic canyon rock band and alt-country supergroup’s sophomore album, set for release on Friday, June 26. The 11-track record arrives a few weeks before the octet celebrates with an album release party at The Burren in Somerville on Friday, July 10.
The follow-up to last year’s acclaimed debut Roll Shine Roll, which surfaced not long after Other Brother Darryl were named the 2024 Boston Music Awards’ Country Artist of the Year, Hey Yeah Hey is led by a trio of emotive singles, proving why the band earned BMA nominations last year for Americana Artist of the Year and Music Video of the Year (“Watch The Trees”).
March’s soothing “Peaceful Alibi” set a tone with its expansive comfort; the yearning “Take It With You,” conveying the band’s message of confident empowerment, was selected by WBUR, Boston’s NPR, as one of the best Boston singles of April just before they played The Town and The City Festival; and the forthcoming “Too Right,” an upbeat meditation on a noisy world, streams Friday, May 29, just ahead of the band’s appearance at the New England Americana Festival at Bellforge Arts Center.
In fact, the recording for Hey Yeah Hey began the day after Other Brother Darryl stepped off the stage at last year’s Americana Fest.
“This album really shows how we create as an entire band,” says guitarist and co-vocalist Nate Leavitt. “The last album was created while putting this band together. This time, the band was already in place and everyone had a defined role musically. It was almost like having a house band or studio full of session musicians, ready to take on a song idea. Creatively, it really made for a more cohesive sound compared to the last album. Plus, knowing our roles as players, along with what works musically for Other Brother Darryl, it’s a more defined sound and reflects more clearly on what we want our band to sound like.”
Co-vocalist, lyricist, harmonica player, and percussionist Dan Nicklin agrees, adding: “I am happy it showcases the sound we are trying to build and the bond we share. Everyone in the band is genuinely excited for this body of music and the early response has been overwhelmingly responsive. It’s music that resonates from a time when change was knocking on the door of culture, which is sadly and ironically where we find ourselves again.”
In Other Brother Darryl, Leavitt and Nicklin are rounded out by an impressive cast of notables in the New England music scene: Dan Cederholm (drums, banjo, vocals, and the band’s graphic designer); Derek Feeney (acoustic guitar, vocals); Chad Raleigh (electric guitars, lap steel, mandolin, vocals); Jim Collins (bass, vocals); Dave Lieb (acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes, vocals); Matt Odabashian (Hammond Organ, Moog Synthesizer); and the late Dave Mirabella, the beloved Other Brother Darryl co-founder who provides “spiritual guidance” from the other side after unexpectedly passing away in 2022. And true to the band’s collaborative ethos, Hey Yeah Hey also features contributions from Chad’s son Nash Raleigh on bongos and local studio wiz Terrance Reeves on vibraphone.
Together, this group of friends and collaborators have been shaping the delicate and deliberate Other Brother Darryl sound since their inception a decade or so ago, where they bonded at a long-gone Somerville rock club over a shared love of The Jayhawks, Wilco, and true authentic artistry. They formed to create the type of harmony-driven Americana sound that feels both intimate and personal… and a shared love of the TV show Newhart, where the group traces its moniker.
But over the past year or so, something that started off as fanciful has now turned into something tangible. They’ve navigated the tragic passing of Mirabella, releasing the debut record with him appearing posthumously, and now carry his spirit with him wherever they go.
“I think in many ways, this album is where we stopped becoming a band and simply became a band,” Leavit admits. “More in a ‘lived-in’ kind of way. The first album was survival, grief, formation, discovery, possibility. This one feels like identity, brotherhood and a common language. A band learning how to carry loss forward instead of being defined by it.”
That shines through in new single “Too Right,” a vibrant tune with a gentle stomp that echoes our collective exhaustion with internet culture and the acidic nature of foolish people. In typical Other Brother Darryl fashion, there’s an uplifting positivity to the sound, one that sparkles with the band’s golden magnetism despite its lyrical content. Bordering on a folk-fed protest song, it might even be the first Other Brother Darryl tune a person can dance to.
“It’s a reaction to the endless voices and opinions that are shared on today’s various platforms,” Leavitt says with a laugh. “It seems like everyone has the answer to everything and it all becomes a little too much sometimes. It’s an interesting contrast between that overwhelming digital world and the eight of us harmonizing in a room together. That tension has unintentionally become the subtext to this whole cycle of releasing an album. For such a depressing outlook on the current landscape of our world, it turned into an upbeat song that marches along towards a fresh start… while it may seem impossible to quiet the noise, at least we can try.”
If there was a lyrical theme or connective tissue across the 11 tracks on Hey Yeah Hey, it’s how the songs all ruminate on the human condition, all shared from a personal perspective that unfolds into something universally relatable.
And a playful approach to that idea exists right in the album’s title. The phrase was first a placeholder for a piece of music the band was working on, and true to form, they ended up harmonizing it. Developing organically, it evolved into three parts – the opening “Prelude,” the “Reprise” in the middle of the track list, and the closing “Finale” – with each a droning, hypnotic allure that helps give the album its overall cadence.
And how a person says the words “hey… yeah… hey” can shape its meaning and intent, something certainly not lost on the band, with Leavitt stating: “I love how the meaning of the title is defined differently from person to person simply based on the inflection of how it’s said. It’s interesting how three simple words can mean something more complex.”
That’s been the stylistic approach of Other Brother Darryl from the beginning, and Hey Yeah Hey elevates it to new heights as the band incorporates new elements of psych, classic rock, and jangle-pop into its ever-expanding sound. But at the core are those harmonies that carry the tunes, offering the listener a sense of comfort and camaraderie when we all need it most.
“When Other Brother Darryl first started, it was a much smaller operation, with fewer voices in the room, fewer perspectives shaping the sound,” says Raleigh, who cites his son’s musical contribution to the album as his own personal highlight. “ Now there are more of us, and that naturally changes things. You’re going to hear different styles and vibes coming together. It’s still rooted in alt-country and Americana, but now there are more musical personalities influencing the arrangements, the feel, even the way the songs build. It’s less one lane and more of a conversation. That’s where a lot of the evolution comes from — it’s the sound of a fuller band.”
The songs on Hey Yeah Hey were all written by Other Brother Darryl, with lyricist Nicklin producing the album, recorded and mixed at his Henley Row Studios in Stoneham, Massachusetts. Additional recording was done by Reeves at Q Division Studios in Cambridge, with mastering by Brian Charles at nearby Rare Signals.
The Hey Yeah Hey rollout began earlier this year with lead single “Peaceful Alibi.” With its classic Other Brother Darryl sound and feel, and a gripping guitar solo by Raleigh, the song takes us on a journey through the cosmic canyon, providing a sonic compass for life’s difficult terrain, and honoring the determination that ultimately delivers appreciation. It’s about the process, and the calming effect of knowing what we’re doing is right.
“Personally, it speaks to how you can feel overwhelmed by all of what’s going on in life,” Leavitt notes. “When facing what seems like a mountain of problems, you can either go over or under that obstacle. While going around may seem easier, climbing up that mountain forces us to face challenges head on and builds our character.”
And character came into play again in April via second single “Take It With You,” a breathtaking composition that swirls and aches with a tender precision in showcasing how each step along our own journey has led to the current moment. A seemingly endless and uplifting chorus draws the listener close, consoling with a lived-in sense of emotion and a weathered Americana infectiousness that would not sound out of place alongside The Byrds or Tom Petty.
“We’re shaped by our past,” assures Leavitt. “All of the experiences in our life are what makes us who we are. Good or bad, these are the things that make us who we are and it’s important to recognize that. It doesn’t mean you have to live in the past; in fact it’s the complete opposite. Live in the now but know you’re here because of your past.”
Beyond the singles, “Waiting on a Stranger,” the first song the band penned for Hey Yeah Hey, a few short months after Mirabella’s passing, exudes an Americana daydream quality that glows with morning optimism as it centers around our desires for human connection as we go about our day and watch the world go by.
“That Takes Time” is a soft rock cruiser with a mid-’70s R&B-pop flow to it, written inside Cambridge dive bar Plough & Stars and a personal favorite of Nicklin with its theme of how monumental things or events don’t just happen immediately; while “Wasted Melody” is a hazy ballad with an entrancing allure, about a deep yearning for the universe to let you in on its secret.
“Something’s Afoot,” is a tender number with a lyrical nature that belies its gentle glide, an immigrant’s song about chasing the American dream before realizing it erodes our humanity and moral compass. It showcases the band’s knack for sparsity in sound before it blossoms into a pinwheel of sonic joy, at odds with a theme of how climbing a ladder to a goal could paralyze a person in the end if one climbs too far from safety. And “Hold on Hollywood,” a love letter to Boston and the drive it takes to make it here, emits that familiar Other Brother storytelling twang.
All through, Hey Yeah Hey is an album of feelings and where to place them, a polished and packaged composition meant to be absorbed in full, with each song acting as a chapter in a larger story. Every Other Brother Darryl song acts as a sort of self-help book, and contained within are life lessons and exploratory tales of personal experience, unfurling like a little voice inside our heads, reassuring us that things will, in fact, be alright.
“I view this record as a body of work – it’s a car-ride record and should be listened to front to back,” says Nicklin. “So I look forward to folks being able to do that, because I always appreciate when they resonate with the tunes. The songs come from a personal place, so when they resonate and create vibes others can find something in, I am humbled. It’s a snapshot of life written for myself and the brothers that reflects the world in the moment they were created.”
It took roughly a decade for Other Brother Darryl to complete that first album, and about a year to craft the second. For any other band, the idea would have created stress, frustration, and a crush of expectation. But Hey Yeah Hey is the sound of a band of intimate collaborators comfortable in their own skin, as individuals and as a cohesive unit, understanding their sound with each passing day, and able to convey the highs and lows of daily life through one golden harmony at a time.
Hey Yeah Hey is presented as an album, but really, it’s an invitation.
“I hope the listener feels the sense of community we’re building,” Leavitt concludes. “Being a bunch of middle aged guys, sharing their experiences and thoughts on life through music, I hope it gives people a place to share in that experience. We’re trying to push back on what feels like a disconnection epidemic without sounding preachy. I’m not sure that many artists want to be in this lane like we do. But it just comes naturally to us so we don’t fight it. We truly mean it when we say we want to play good music for good people. It’s really that simple. So if you want to share in that, you’re more than welcome.”
Connect with Other Brother Darryl:
HOMEPAGE . SPOTIFY . BANDCAMP . APPLE . INSTAGRAM . FACEBOOK . YOUTUBE . LINKTREE
Other Brother Darryl features:
Dan Nicklin: Vocals, harmonica, percussion
Nate Leavitt: Acoustic guitars, vocals, chimes
Dan Cederholm: Drums, banjo, vocals
Derek Feeney – Acoustic guitar, vocals
Chad Raleigh: Electric guitars, lap steel, mandolin, vocals
Jim Collins: Bass, vocals
Dave Lieb – Acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes, vocals
Matt Odabashian: Hammond Organ, Moog Synthesizer
Dave Mirabella: Spiritual guidance
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‘Hey Yeah Hey’ production credits:
Written by Other Brother Darryl
Produced by Dan Nicklin
Featuring Nash Raleigh (bongos) and Terrance Reeves (vibraphone)
Recorded and Mixed by Dan Nicklin at Henley Row Studios in Stoneham, MA
Additional Recording by Terrance Reeves at Q Division Studios in Cambridge, MA
Mastered by Brian Charles at Rare Signals in Cambridge, MA
Cover Design and logo by Dan Cederholm
Band photo by Pat Piasecki
Other Brother Darryl 2026 short bio:
Other Brother Darryl are a Boston-based Alt-Country and Americana collective making good music for good people. Winners of the 2024 Boston Music Award for Country Artist of the Year and nominated in 2025 for Americana Artist of the Year and Video of the Year, the band blends heartfelt storytelling with a communal spirit. The band’s sophomore album, Hey Yeah Hey, arrives in June 2026, fresh off appearances at The Town and The City Festival in Lowell and New England Americana Festival at Medfield’s Bellforge Arts Center.
