Growing Up With the Okee Dokee Brothers: A Review of Little Old You
I didn’t fully realize what the Okee Dokee Brothers’ new family music album, Little Old You, was about until I was driving home from dropping both of my boys off at school. I turned on the song Apple of My Eye, and suddenly, it hit me. By the time I pulled into the driveway, I sat in the car, finished the album, and sobbed.
Why did I cry? Because Joe and Justin, as always, are smarter than me. This isn’t just another children’s album filled with catchy tunes—it’s a tender, wise journey into the in-between stage of childhood to tween-hood. It recognizes what it feels like to watch your kids shift from being little ones who need you for everything into independent, complex people you’re starting to form new relationships with. It’s music for families growing together, and it stopped me in my tracks.
I’ve been listening to the Okee Dokee Brothers since before I even had kids. I remember exactly how I discovered them: I was pregnant with my oldest son when my ex-husband, a bluegrass musician, stumbled across their music. That was 13 years ago. We instantly fell in love with their sound, and they’ve been part of my family’s soundtrack ever since.
Over the years, one of the true gifts of my life has been not only meeting Joe and Justin, but also becoming friends and collaborators with them. They are authentic, kind, deeply creative, and—most importantly—wonderful people themselves. Supporting their work has always been easy, because they’re truly making a difference in families’ lives.
A New Musical Chapter
Little Old You marks a subtle but powerful shift in their musical direction. You can hear how they’ve matured—not just as musicians, but as dads. The album carries the fingerprints of Paul Simon’s lyrical intimacy, James Taylor’s warmth, and even the playful improvisation of the Grateful Dead.
It’s clear they are reaching for that 8–12-year-old audience—the kids who grew up strumming along to their earliest records and are now entering middle school. When I first played the title track in the car, my son Wyatt’s eyes lit up. “I love this,” he declared immediately. And it makes sense—he’s been raised on Paul Simon and the Dead, so this album felt like home.
Songs That Stay With You
“Apple of My Eye” This one broke me open. It’s about those silly pet names we give our kids—names they may not always love, but that mark the depth of our affection. As a mom who rarely calls her boys by their real names, it pierced straight through me.
“Don’t Take Yourself So Seriously” A mantra I already preach to my kids, now set to music. It’s playful, grounding, and exactly the reminder every child (and parent) needs.
“Little Old You” The title track captures the miracle of growing up—the idea that we were always here before we were here, and we’ll be here longer than we know. It’s philosophical but accessible, and kids feel it in their bones.
“Memories” This song undid me. It’s nostalgia wrapped in melody: “Hold them tight and keep them true and save them up as memories that will someday end up saving you.” It made me think of all the small, daily moments with my kids that they’ll carry with them for life—and how those very memories will one day carry me, too.
Why This Album Matters (a lot)
This is not just a “kids’ album.” It’s an album for families—parents and children growing side by side. The language is inclusive and universal. The themes are mature in the best possible way, reflecting where Joe and Justin (and so many of us) are in life.
For me, it’s also about what they represent in a bigger cultural sense. In a world where boys are too often pulled into harmful, red-pilled corners of the internet, the Okee Dokee Brothers are offering something radically important: music that encourages boys to sing, dance, clap, and be joyful. Music that models kindness, humor, and humanity.
Little Old You is a bridge—for the children who are growing up and for the parents who are learning to let them. It’s music to put on in the car, in the kitchen, anywhere you want to feel connected. Joe and Justin have given us a gift: an album that grows alongside our families, carrying us into this next chapter with grace, humor, and heart.
The album is available now on Spotify, and on their website as vinyl or CD. Do yourself—and your family—a favor: put it on, turn it up, and let yourself feel.