About The Okee Dokee Brothers
The Okee Dokee Brothers are an independent American folk and American roots children's music duo, Joe Mailander and Justin Lansing, from Minneapolis. Their 2012 CD/DVD release Can You Canoe?, with music and videos created during a 2011 paddle down the Mississippi River, won a Grammy for Best Children's Album in the 55th Grammy Awards. They released their second CD/DVD called Through the Woods in May 2014, with music and videos created during a 2013 trek up the Appalachian Trail. The album garnered a Grammy nomination in 2014. They traveled through the Southwest for another album and DVD, Saddle Up, which was also nominated for a Grammy in the best children's album category. Joe and Justin also published two picture books under Sterling Publishing titled Can You Canoe? And Other Adventure Songs and Thousand Star Hotel. Their primary branding artist, Brandon Reese, illustrated the books.
In October 2018, The Okee Dokee Brothers released Winterland, an exuberant yet introspective collection of 16 original songs exploring the wonders and beauty of winter. A voyage from autumn to spring, Winterland presents secular winter music the entire family can enjoy while cozying up around the fire. This album also received a Grammy nomination in November 2019.
In May 2020, they released, Songs for Singin, a 2-disc 27-song album full of inclusive songs so fans can join in and belt out. In the spirit of American folk legends, Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger, Songs for Singin presents timeless messages of hope and unity. The album includes an illustrated 32-page book with the lyrics and chords to every song to inspire living room sing-alongs.
Their most recent album, released in March 2023, is called Brambletown. The album is a 17-song collection that celebrates a fantastical place where “critters can talk, trees can walk and nothing’s as it seems.” Listeners are introduced to the forest’s wild residents: Junkyard Raccoon, Doctor Mole, Fox and Hare, Possum, and Old Badger who lead a journey full of mysterious dreams, rowdy celebrations, tempting distractions, and ancient wisdom. The inviting and mystical setting encourages listeners to take a look around to see how we are truly all connected. Brambletown provides an honest look at life’s challenges through lightheartedness and optimism.
In July of 2024, their animated 35 minute film, Brambletown, was released on PBS KIDS. Brambletown is a paper stop-motion animated musical film that explores connection and belonging – within ourselves, with each other, and with nature. The film tells the story of Fox and Badger: two lifelong friends who return to their childhood home of Brambletown, only to find that things have changed. As they grow apart, experience new hurts, and navigate a major disruption to their forest community, Fox and Badger learn that even in the darkest moments, they still have the power to heal. Brambletown’s core message is that taking care of ourselves and our relationships is part of taking care of the world. Through its music and story, the film provides children and grown-ups with a safe on-ramp for talking about some of life’s toughest challenges with hope, honesty, and optimism.
The Okee Dokee Brothers only perform in America but are yet to perform in another country.
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