Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Deletto

Chris Deletto, a.k.a. Deletto, is an up-and-coming artist who’s quickly shaken up the industry with his relatable lyricism and alt-rock sound. Tapping into past struggles and experiences, Deletto has proven he’s a fearless songwriter with plenty to say. With his new album out now, Pop Culturalist caught up with Deletto for an in-depth conversation.

PC: How you discovered your passion for music?
Deletto: I discovered my passion for music simply by listening to it. You hear certain sounds, the way things are put together, and you just connect with that. I wasn’t even the one who noticed my love for it. I was too young to realize that I was connecting with music differently. It was actually my dad who was like, “Hey! I see what you’re doing over there.” So he decided to let me get a guitar and dive in. My dad played guitar himself. When I strung my first chord, it changed my life.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Deletto: I have a two-parter for this one. As far as my career goes, I would say that when I was listening to music differently, that credit goes to Kurt Cobain from Nirvana. It’s cliché to say, I know. But when I heard his voice in the way that he started to sing things, it was so different. He wasn’t just singing music; he was expressing music, and it was this visceral feeling that hit me in the chest. I was like, “I understand this.” I didn’t know why at the time.

It’s not even like I dove into the lyrics or anything. It was just that feeling you get where his emotion poured out and directly affected me. That’s when I was like, “Okay, there’s something new here. There’s something different about music and how you can go about it.” It reshaped my whole idea and understanding. When you’re a kid, you’re listening to pop songs, and I was listening to a lot of rap when I was in sixth grade. But when I found Nirvana, I was like, “Oh, never mind.” No pun intended.

The second part to my answer would be the inspiration from a dark, troubling past. Throughout my childhood, I was like, “All right, keep giving me material to write about.” I was influenced from hearing how people were expressing themselves, which I was like, “Okay, this is how I can handle what I’m going through right now. I don’t have to bottle it up. It’s a release valve. I can express how I’m feeling.” It’s a whole lot of troubled and fun days. Not all bad. I had some good days.

PC: Tell us about your single, “All We Are.”
Deletto: There’s an interesting story behind the track. It wasn’t supposed to happen! It wasn’t supposed to be written. I had the album completed; it was done. I was like, “Okay, cool.” Then I was talking to a producer who had worked with a hip-hop artist that I was working with for a while. I went to him and he listened to some of my demos. He was like, “Dude! These are really good. Let’s set a date and record them.” I had everything lined up.

We actually never played the songs live before, and we were about to go into the studio. We were like, “Let’s practice these songs before we record them.” I would lay everything down. I was working with my drummer, and I would send him the demos, and he would come up with his own drum parts. We were planning for him to come over, and we’d practice them, since we never played the songs together. But then the producer was like, “You have two days to record the tracks.”

I was like, “There are eleven songs! How is that going to work?” He told me he’s seen people do it before. I was like, “No, come on, man. We need more time.” He was like, “I can’t give you more time. This is what I got.”
There was a miscommunication there, and he chopped down the dates on me. I was like, “I can’t do it. I’m pulling out.” So I canceled those recording dates and went home. Every now and again, I’ll pick up the guitar and start noodling around. My girlfriend started recording me. She was like, “Listen back to what you were just doing.” I did and it sounded nice.

I was playing along with it, and then all of a sudden, I started to hum a bit. I realized I had time on my hands, and I decided I would record this and see what happens. I was like, “This will be fun for later. I’ll see what I can do.” But I really liked the way that the song was shaping together and the raw feel to it. The open verse comes in very ethereal and ambient. Then the chorus explodes. So I started to lay down all this stuff in my home studio, and I sent it to my drummer. He was like, “Dude, let’s finish this song before we go in and secure more studio days.” Have you seen the video?

PC: Yeah!

Deletto: So something that most people mistake is that the song is actually not the subject matter of the music video. It directly relates to it. The way that I write things is open to interpretation and has a bunch of different meanings. The only people who will hear the song and get close to the meaning are my four siblings. They’re the only ones who will be like, “I get what’s going on here.” It’s very personal. I mean every song on the album is so personal. It’s almost a lost memoir.

PC: You’ve released a few singles thus far in your career. If you had to pick one song that best encompasses you as an artist, what would it be and why?
Deletto: Oh dude, whoa. One song that encompasses me as an artist? This is going to be a d*uche answer. I don’t think I’ve written it yet. I think I’m slowly building to it. That might be the d*uche-est answer of all time. [laughs] This is really my first attempt. I’ve been trying to write songs ever since I was twelve or thirteen. Once I had a guitar in my hand, I thought it was possible. But I have never been able to because I’ve always had this mental block. I’ve finally started chipping away at it, but I don’t think it’s 100% gone. I’m still maturing; we all are. So I don’t think I’m there yet.

PC: As we look ahead to 2020, what does the year hold for you?
Deletto: The album is out now. I’m hoping to have the release party on March 6. Then, I just hope to do more touring and hopefully get in a festival.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Deletto: Let’s go super guilty pleasure! I love Slipknot. I’ve listened to them since I was younger. I do love metal. One of my favorite bands of all time is Between The Buried And Me, which is very random.

PC: First album you bought?
Deletto: I actually bought two on the same day and it was Soundgarden’s Superunknown and Blind Melon’s first album. I remember putting on “No Rain,” and I was like, “Holy sh*t, this is amazing.” It turned my world upside down.

PC: First concert you attended?
Deletto: I was on the floor at Madison Square Garden. I was five people from the stage at Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.

PC: An album that changed your life and why?
Deletto: Nirvana’s Nevermind. You knew that was coming! [laughs] It’s everything that I said before. I would press play and I would sit with it. You’re experiencing all these emotions and expressions through your speaker. There’s so much catchy music out there, but what stays with you? This was the first album that stayed with me.

PC: A venue on your bucket list to perform at?
Deletto: There are so many venues that I’d love to play. I mean the obvious is Madison Square Garden. It’s the first time I ever went to a show, and it opened my eyes to live music. But at this point, can someone just book me? Anyone who wants me to play music in front of them would be cool.

PC: A must-have on the road?
Deletto: Food and water is pretty cool. I’m a bare-bones kind of guy. I just need food, water, and something to tune into and watch, like a movie.

To keep up with Deletto, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Pick up or stream “All We Are” on Amazon Music, iTunes, or Spotify.