Over some lonely acoustic guitar, Dan Nicklin opens “The Ballad of Joni and Graham” singing, “Look at this life we’re livin’/Are we gettin’ it right?”
Brother, that’s a tough question.
Life is hard. Music makes it easier. But when you are a musician, the grind of the business, the constant need to bleed for your art, and the burden of everyday life can turn music into a chore.
“You’re always trying to go, go, go, go, and slowly you become semi-jaded,” Nicklin told the Herald. “But can you fall in love with music again? Can you realize that making music is fun?”
Nicklin found that fun in writing sessions with Nate Leavitt and Dave Mirabella a few years ago. Three aces in the local music scene, Nicklin, Leavitt, and Mirabella came together as Other Brother Darryl (a cheeky nod to the sitcom “Newhart”) as other projects wound down or took breaks — the band has its roots in faves OldJack and the Rationales. The trio locked into a vibe (Laurel Canyon folk rock and alt country) instantly.
“None of the songs were written in more than two and half hours,” Nicklin said of the sessions.
“It was so easy,” Leavitt added. “It was like, idea, lyrics, vocal parts, done.”
But shortly after these sweet and easy writing sessions, Mirabella passed away suddenly in April of 2022. Nicklin and Leavitt (and the broader Boston music community) was crushed by the loss of one of its great songwriters. Instead of giving up, the pair filled out Other Brother Darryl with friends and fans of Mirabella — most of whom played in OldJack or the Rationales. Nearly three years later, the band releases debut album “Roll Shine Roll” Feb. 28 and celebrates the LP with a March 8 show at Lizard Lounge.
“It’s an extremely happy and sad moment because Dave’s not here,” Leavitt said. “He started this journey with us and he won’t finish, at least on a physical level. But he’ll finish in the memory, in the songs that he wrote. That can never be taken away.”
“Despite that immense sadness through that tragedy, we’ve had lots of moments of joy,” he added. “Finishing the album is a milestone.”
The milestones piled up even before the album was finished.
Other Brother Darryl is a hushed, meditative folk rock band full of harmonies and twang — not the kind of music that succeeds at the Rock & Roll Rumble, Boston’s annual battle of the bands/local music festival. Other Brother Darryl made it all the way to the finals in 2024. The band followed the Rumble with another unlikely achievement, winning 2024 Country Artist of the Year at the Boston Music Awards.
Despite the tough journey. The band will probably be ticking off milestones for a while as they keep composing their lonely, Laurel Canyon-style tunes. They’ll be looking at this life they’re living. They’ll be getting it right, sonically and spiritually.
For tickets and details, visit otherbrotherdarryl.com