When you’ve lived a life as hard as Darlin’ Brando, it’s easy to lose touch with friends. “The Other Me and Paul” seeks that reconciliation. Darlin’ Brando—the pseudonym of singer, songwriter and drummer, Brandon Goldstein—melds the twang and danceable beats of classic Honky Tonk, the wry humor and storytelling of troubadours like John Prine and Roger Miller, and the surprise twists and turns of golden-era rock ‘n roll.
Raised in Virginia, his music is a product of decades spent moving from city to city, coast to coast. From Los Angeles to Brooklyn to Bloomington, IN to Nashville, Tennessee…and then back to LA. All while living and learning the kinds of hard lessons country songs are made of: heartbreak, divorce, substance abuse, the list goes on.
“The Other Me and Paul” chugs along with a gentle beat as Brando and his band The Babies of the Earth weave twisting harmonies reminiscent of Laurel Canyon and ’70s country. The story alternates between a past filled with carousing and danger, with a sad acknowledgement of where that self-destructive behavior could very well lead.
“‘The Other Me and Paul’ (a nod to Willie’s ‘Me and Paul’) is the story of a middle aged man who laments his lost connection with an old friend who disappeared somewhere along the way,” explains Brando. “The action begins shortly after the birth of his ‘sweet baby daughter.’ He announces her arrival by sending Paul a picture of her even though he knows he won’t respond. We learn about their stormy past, for which our narrator accepts some (but not all) responsibility. He also seems to suggest, perhaps naively so, that reconnecting would result in a renewed, harmonious friendship given the passage of time…assuming that Paul is even still alive.”
“The Other Me and Paul” will be available to stream everywhere on September 6th.