Other Brother Darryl roll a certain shine forward with ‘(Re)Watch The Trees’
New release suite out now from the Boston alt-country and Americana collective revisits a defining single with a live cut and early demo
NOW PLAYING: Listen to ‘(Re)Watch The Trees’ on all platforms
Other Brother Darryl nominated for two 2025 Boston Music Awards:
Americana Artist of the Year and Video of the Year (for ‘Watch The Trees’)
Listen on Spotify x Watch on YouTube
Acclaimed debut album ‘Roll Shine Roll’ released earlier this year
BOSTON, MA [November 7, 2025] – Whether we realize it or not, our eyes tend to wander off to the things the heart selects for us. And here in New England, especially in a golden autumn, our collective gaze is often cast out into nature, through the window panes of cars, offices, and homes, watching the trees and witnessing the leaves churn from a confident green to a rusty palette of yellow, orange, and browns. It’s a rite of passage, a sense of inner warmth met by the crisp fall air, and delivers a solemn kind of reflection as another year begins to slowly fade like the dwindling daylight that surrounds us.
For Other Brother Darryl, the Boston-based alt-country and cosmic canyon supergroup set to release (Re)Watch The Trees on Friday, November 7, a suite of material that extends the emotion of band’s January single “Watch The Trees,” the storylines that play out across the core song are equally yours and theirs, defined by what each of us sees – and feels – when we gaze off into the distance.
And true to form, this new Other Brother Darryl release, comprising two new tracks and one video, is both something new and something old. The final single before the octet released debut album Roll Shine Roll back in February – one of six singles from the record – (Re)Watch The Trees features three distinct components: “Watch The Trees - Live Acoustic From Q Division”; a live recording plus an accompanying video filmed at the famed Cambridge recording studio; and “Watch The Trees - Demo Version”, offering an intimate look at the initial seeds of the song.
“‘Watch The Trees’ has become a story of the before and after,” says acoustic guitarist and vocalist Nate Leavitt. “Before its release, its meaning was something more personal and relatable amongst our band. Now it’s become our signature song of sorts. I don’t mean in the viral, or monster hit, sense. More in that it’s the song that most people identify us with – which is an interesting thing to see develop. I think we knew it was always a special song but I don’t think we ever thought it would be the song to define us to this point.”
Dan Nicklin, who co-wrote the song with Leavitt, percussionist Dan Cederholm, and late brother and bandmate Dave Mirabella (who provides co-vocals and guitar on the original ) agrees: “I think the beauty in the song is that it really is very specific in its context, yet without definitive explanation it becomes the listeners own experience. It captures a nostalgia for a simpler time – which I think resonates with folks.”
It also captures Other Brother Darryl in the here and now, with Leavitt, Nicklin, and Cederholm rounded out by Derek Feeney (acoustic guitar), Chad Raleigh (acoustic 12-string guitar), Jim Collins (bass and vocals), Dave Lieb (piano and vocals), and Matt Odabashian (melodica), with Mirabella firmly entrenched in the family by providing spiritual guidance.
“The album version holds a special place in our hearts because it’s one of the few tracks that has Dave Mirabella singing and playing guitar,” Leavitt says. “We carry Dave with us in spirit wherever we go and always light our ‘Dave Candle’ at every rehearsal or recording session. He’s still very much alive in everything we do.”
Though forming a dozen years ago after a group of old friends bonded in a long-gone Somerville rock club over a love of Jayhawks, Wilco, and authentic artistry, the type of harmony-driven Americana sound that feels both intimate and personal – not to mention the TV show Newhart where the group traces its moniker – this year’s Roll Shine Roll showcases a vision fully crystallized. It delivered singles like “Drive,” “Until I Do,” and “Gypsy Girl,” and offered a panoramic vantage point into the band’s core sound and identity.
“I think every band has a sound or a group of bands they relate their sound to,” Nicklin notes. “And quite often those bands are your heroes or musical mentors. I tend to think that ‘Watch The Trees’ is special because it represented the first time that we wrote something that hit those water marks. From the first demo – which is on this release – it felt like an arrival.”
Last year Other Brother Darryl took home Country Artist of the Year in the 2024 Boston Music Awards, not too long after being a finalist in the Rock and Roll Rumble earlier that spring. This year has delivered additional heights: Holding court at the scene-defining New England Americana Festival at Bellforge Arts Center in June; playing the Outlaw Country Music Festival in New Hampshire (on a lineup alongside Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan); and most recently, earning two nominations in the 2025 Boston Music Awards, one for Americana Artist of the Year, and another in Video of the Year, perhaps most notably, for “Watch The Trees.”
The love that Other Brother Darryl audiences have shown “Watch The Trees,” both in streaming numbers, video views, and reactions from the crowd when performed live, made it a perfect candidate to keep the roll of Roll Shine Roll era moving forward, but to also be revisited through the (Re)Watch The Trees release suite.
“We wanted to come back to one of the tracks that resonates with us and our listeners the most,” Leavitt adds. “It’s a retrospective of sorts. With a live and demo version, it strips away the studio recording to focus on the song from a different perspective. It’s a bit of a deep dive, possibly a little self-indulgent on our parts, but something we wanted to share with everyone… like a little gift.”
Though the band are reluctant to detail the original meaning behind the song, they appreciate how “Watch The Trees” has blossomed since its release.
“It’s a special one for us because of how well we all relate to what it’s about,” Leavitt explains. “All of us in the band were that kid in the backseat, staring out the window at the sky and trees. It’s become a shared memory that we’ve bonded over. Not only within the band but with our audience, too. It’s amazing how many folks relate to it on the level we do.”
Both components of this new release – the two new versions of the original, as well as the visual – have a special place in the heart of the band. The live version, “Watch the Trees - Live Acoustic from Q Division”, was produced by Other Brother Darryl and Terrence Reeves, and recorded and mixed by Reeves at Q Division, with videography by Pat Piasecki and editing by Derek Feeney.
“I love that we captured a moment of us all playing together, with the entire eight-piece lineup,” says Leavitt. “It feels like we’re the strongest the band has ever been live. We also love an excuse to hang out and play music together especially with the challenge of getting all of us in a room at the same time. It was our first time at the new Q and we were blown away by how beautiful it looks and sounds. Terrance made us feel right at home and captured what we we’re going for sound-wise.”
And the demo cut showcases a composition that came out of the songwriting womb almost fully-formed, but subtle nuances and a rawness on its performance give added clarity and gravitas to what ended up on the album. It was recorded at Nicklin’s Henley Row Studios in Stoneham, MA, where the entirety of Roll Shine Roll would eventually come to fruition.
“I think the surprising part of listening back to the demo was just how complete it was in that first writing session,” Nicklin marvels. “Danny [Cederholm] had just joined the band and we were going through some other material when the guitar line appeared; then the first line, and in no time at all, the song. I am also mesmerized by the acoustic playing at the end.”
Leavitt agrees: “I love it because it brings me back to that moment when Dave, Dan, Danny and I were all in a room writing what would become the first OBD album. Like the demo version, all of the songs we wrote in those sessions were recorded on our iPhones in their early stages, usually at the end of the night when we finished writing. Those were great times we had together and to be able to listen to us creating this song is like a time capsule. Listening back I feel like it hasn’t changed much. Aside from a couple lyrical changes, vocal parts, it’s mainly the same. It sounds like I might’ve had a guitar solo at the end at one point. I guess we got it right for the most part from the start.”
From here, the band are continuing to move forward, starting work on their sophomore release and enjoying the ride that Other Brother Darryl has so far afforded. “Rewatch The Trees” allows them to pause for a moment, take a look out at that nature that surrounds them, and take a deep, collective breath.
“We’ve been going non-stop for the past 12 to 18 months,” Leavitt says with a laugh. “It’ll be nice to take a little time to reflect on how far we’ve come in that time. The plan for 2026 is to release singles, leading up to the release of the album. We’ll continue to make our way around New England and beyond by playing live, some festivals and just keep enjoying the journey together and all the folks who are coming along with us.”
It’ll be hard not to look outside along the way.
Other Brother Darryl is comprised of:
Dan Nicklin: Vocals and harmonica
Nate Leavitt: Acoustic guitar and vocals
Dan Cederholm: Percussion
Derek Feeney: Acoustic guitar
Chad Raleigh: Acoustic 12-string guitar
Jim Collins: Bass and vocals
Dave Lieb: Piano and vocals
Matt Odabashian: Melodica
Dave Mirabella: Spiritual guidance
‘(Re)Watch The Trees’ single artwork:
‘(Re)Watch The Trees’ production credits:
“Watch the Trees Live Acoustic from Q Division”
Written by Dave Mirabella, Dan Nicklin, Nate Leavitt and Dan Cederholm
Produced by Other Brother Darryl and Terrence Reeves
Recorded and Mixed by Terrence Reeves at Q Division Studios in Cambridge, MA
Videography by Pat Piasecki
Edited by Derek Feeney
“Watch the Trees (Demo Version)”
Written and Performed by Dave Mirabella, Dan Nicklin, Nate Leavitt and Dan Cederholm
Recorded at Henley Row Studios in Stoneham, MA
Cover Photo, Design and Logo by Dan Cederholm
Band Photo by Pat Piasecki
Other Brother Darryl 2025 bio:
Other Brother Darryl are an eight-piece Boston-based alt-country supergroup, winners of the 2024 Boston Music Award for Country Artist of the Year. Calling their sound cosmic canyon rock, the band is made up of veteran singer-songwriters and local luminaries: Dan Nicklin (vocals, harmonica, percussion), Nate Leavitt (vocals, acoustic guitar), Dan Cederholm (drums), Chad Raleigh (multi-instrumentalist), Derek Feeney (acoustic guitar), Dave Lieb (piano, vocals), Matt Odabashian (organ) and Jim Collins (bass, vocals), with the enduring spirit of their late brother Dave Mirabella as inspiration and guidance.
The roots of Other Brother Darryl stretch back to 2012 at Somerville’s beloved (and now defunct) club Radio, where each member crossed paths regularly with their own projects. Bonded by a shared love of big folk harmonies, the cosmic country of CSNY, The Jayhawks and Wilco, and even a wink to the TV series Newhart, the band carried on an unspoken promise: that one day they’d bring their collective vision to life.
That promise arrived with the release of their debut album Roll Shine Roll in February 2025, recorded at Nicklin’s Henley Row Studios. The eleven-song set is a meditation on resilience, loss, and brotherhood, dedicated to Mirabella, who passed away suddenly in 2022. Praised as “deep as Music from Big Pink by The Band” (Vivascene), the album has since surpassed 30,000 streams, with the single “Watch the Trees” alone passing 10,000 streams and earning rotation on Boston’s premier Americana station, WUMB.
Momentum has continued to build with each step. The band were finalists in the storied Rock & Roll Rumble, released a mini-documentary about their origins, rolled out six singles from Roll Shine Roll, which in addition to “Watch the Trees,” included “Until I Do,” “Sometimes,” and “The Ballad of Joni & Graham,” which have established their reputation as torchbearers for authentic Americana and alt-country.
Onstage, Other Brother Darryl have become fixtures in the New England scene and beyond: appearing at the New England Americana Festival, the Outlaw Music Festival (Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Wilco) at BankNH Pavilion, and the Underwater Sunshine Festival curated by Adam Duritz of Counting Crows. They’ve also shared bills with acts like Deer Tick and Will Dailey, further cementing their standing as a band that thrives both in the studio and live.
With work already underway on their second album, Other Brother Darryl remain committed to carrying their cosmic canyon rock forward. A sound born of friendship, community, and the belief that real music played by real people, for good people, still matters.
Recent media praise for Other Brother Darryl:
“An album that embodies soul, heart and undeniable resolution.” _Hype Hub Magazine
“Eleven tracks of pure sonic gold…Other Brother Darryl live up to the hype on vibrant alterna-country debut.” _Rock and Roll Fables
“By the fourth time with the album this reviewer was touting the greatness of the release.” _The Alternate Root
“An astonishing Alt-Country debut from the soon-to-be supergroup of contemporary Americana… as deep as Music From Big Pink by The Band.” _Vivascene
“Roll Shine Roll” presents a roadmap where every song is worth stopping to take in the view.” _WBUR
“Other Brother Darryl has created something special – a love song that acknowledges how sometimes the bravest thing we can do is simply watch and wait.” _B Side Guys
""Watch The Trees" reminds us that music, like the love it inspires, can continually be rediscovered." _Hype Hub
“An alt-country masterpiece. This is cosmic country at its absolute finest.” _If It's Too Loud on 'Watch the Trees'
“With its genuine sound and heartfelt spirit, Other Brother Darryl gives us a memorable piece of music that will resonate long after the last note plays.” _Honk Magazine on 'Watch the Trees'
“The sound, anchored by acoustic guitars but with electric guitar and organ weaving their way across the song, recalls the Jayhawks in their prime. More to the point, it is a moving tribute to one of Boston’s lost musical lights.” _Twangville on ‘Drive’
“Boston alt-country and Americana band Other Brother Darryl make music in that tight harmonies, melody rich, cosmic-tinged corner of Americana. ‘Until I Do’ is a tale of a parting of the ways – a ‘you go your way and I’ll go mine’ moment, with the pledge to never think of or cross paths with the other again. It’s a bittersweet moment for Other Brother Darryl, as the song was released a few months after the unexpected passing of co-founding member Dave Mirabella, which gives the song an added poignancy.” _Americana UK
“[Other Brother Darryl] rolled in six deep for an alt-country vibe. Glistening vocal harmonies, a sweet electric organ and melodies for miles on the acoustic and electric guitars. The band has studied the songbooks of Neil Young, Tom Petty, the Grateful Dead.” _Cambridge Day
“And now it’s time for some nice good old fashioned country rock. …Fans of the genre will recognise everything from the Eagles to CSN(&Y) in ‘Drive’. The laidback rhythm almost conceals a great song that has that slow rock in it. Another description is a tougher version of the beautiful ballad by The Connells, ‘74/75’. Acoustic guitars playing around each other, strumming, some lead notes sprinkled in between. A warm Hammond adds to the fun already enjoyed. Next, the vocals set in with some great harmonizing in a style that moves between the two already mentioned examples. The singers in Brother Darryl know the power and joy of singing together.” _WoNoBlog
“...you can hear such a genuine, heartfelt musical collaboration coming at you through your speakers. The overall recording is so honest and without big production, it just feels like you are sitting in the room with the band performing. Really nice stuff.” _Blood Makes Noise
“Whoah, deepcut Newhart reference. You don’t get that every day in 2022. Other Brother Daryl picks up the thread of new Americana that bands like Wilco have returned to respectability in the new millennium. A strong acoustic progression, a banjo on a walk, and multi-layered harmonies. Comfort food musical textures, mixed with a little melancholy.” _Hump Day News
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