To say that Darro Chea has faced an uphill battle would be an understatement. Three days after returning to the US from grad school abroad, the Asian-American singer, guitarist and producer was diagnosed with a brain tumor. The rehabilitation process sent him back to square one. “I had to completely relearn everything,” he explained. “How to eat and chew, how to talk and sing. But I knew that I needed to keep on going because of the music.”
For the alternative/rock musician, music has always been a part of his DNA – “I eat, sleep and breathe it.” Based in New York City, and originally from York, PA, he was exposed to music as a child. His father performed in a Cambodian wedding band, which spurred his interest in guitar virtuosos like Steve Vai, Carlos Santana and Joe Satriani. Honing his skills early on, Darro attended Berklee College of Music and has worked with HOAX, Al Joseph, Daniel Yoong and Garry Willis. In 2017, he released his debut EP, Nostalgia.
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.
“Music has been my outlet for dealing with obstacles past, present and future that have been caused by the tumor. No matter positive or negative, experiences are good for producing art.”