Alt. rock/emo/pop-punk songwriter/guitarist Darro is set to release Songs of Recovery, an album that deals with his diagnosis, surgery, and recovery from a brain tumor.
“Each song from Songs of Recovery deals with a different situation dealing with my brain tumor,” Darro says of the album. “Sometimes it’s an angst-filled song commenting about how people think I’m fine because I appear physically healthy, or that I still get panic attacks just from walking down the street. Whatever the case is, each song is essentially dealing with PTSD or something that’s affected the last 9 years of my life without my knowledge.”
To say Darro Chea, aka alt/rock songwriter/guitarist, Darro, has faced an uphill battle would be an understatement. Three days after returning to the U.S. from grad school abroad, the Asian American musician and producer was diagnosed with a brain tumor. The rehabilitation process sent him back to square one, having to learn to speak, chew, and sing all over again. Telling his story through music, Darro was featured on Billboard for his video, “You’re Not Insane,” and continues to share more music based on his experiences, including his upcoming full-length album, Songs of Recovery.
Born from the hardships of his brain tumor, Songs Of Recovery is a set of originals that address Darro’s journey in powerful, straightforward language that anyone can relate to. Against all odds, he’s come through his ordeal with his sense of self intact.
“Songs of Recovery will be coming out this winter, and it will include ‘Wired Shut,’ the last three singles I released, and a few more songs that I’ve never released. I’m excited to share it with everyone, but I’m also excited to sort of close this chapter of my music and begin the next. I have a handful of very different sounding songs up my sleeve and I’m hecking excited for people to hear them. Oh, and I have a lit music video coming out for ‘Undefined.’ Sorry it’s coming a year after it’s release, but it’s gonna be a really good video.”
Darro’s music is a reflection of the journey he’s endured. An inspirational figure for all his fans, Darro has conquered the unimaginable, including graduating from Berklee College of Music with a Bachelor’s in Guitar Performance and Music Production/Engineering; and a Master’s in Contemporary Guitar Performance. His first EP, Nostalgia, was recorded and released in 2017, shortly after jaw surgery and reflected upon challenges he was having at the time. With poppy melodies and crafty guitars, he taps into a realm of progressive and pop-rock, integrating anthemic elements from bands like Paramore and My Chemical Romance with emotionally-expressive guitar work inspired by John Mayer and wizards like Steve Vai. The newer music, including “You’re Not Insane,” “Wired Shut,” “Undefined,” and “Paralyzed,” focuses on his struggles post brain surgery and how it has affected his life.
