Guest Blog: DELETTO Discusses His “All We Are” Music Video and How it Relates to His Interest in Mental Health

There are artists who are fine with just making music to earn a living and entertain, while there are others that possess higher levels of ambition. You can place Deletto, a quickly emerging musician originally from the northern parts of New Jersey, firmly in the latter category. While now a rock artist, Deletto started off producing hip-hop and touring as a backing guitarist for local rappers. Interestingly enough, he has shared the same stage as some of the most prominent names in modern hip-hop, namely Machine Gun Kelly, Schoolboy Q, Meek Mill, and Ty Dolla $ign. Deletto carried a lot away from these experiences on the road and it helped give him perspective on how to get his own musical career off the ground.

Now firmly rooted in the foundations of driving guitar rock, Deletto blends dynamic riffs, heavy thematic drums, and delicate vocal samples that sit atop a cinematic song structure. His songwriting is heavily inspired by his own personal struggles, something which helped to complete him as a musician, one who already had the technical abilities to write and perform every instrumental part (except drums) on his debut album Oldkid. These personal struggles are perhaps the strongest thematical aspect of the record with the primary aim to raise awareness on mental health with a particular focus on suicide prevention.

For an example of Oldkid’s emphasis on mental health, look no further than to the music video for “All We Are.” Regarding the video, Deletto sums it up best when he states, “This music video portrays signs of depression and the dangers that can follow if it goes ignored or unnoticed. My goal is to create a conversation surrounding depression and suicide, and to work towards overcoming the stigma attached to mental health.”

First off, it is necessary to watch the music video for “All We Are”:

Never one to fear speaking his mind, Deletto has done just that for us today, and we are in full appreciation. Deletto joins us for a special guest blog surrounding the recent release of his “All We Are” music video and the thought process that went into creating the clip. Deletto comes with an advantage that many other musicians don’t. Aside from his musical abilities, he has a vast knowledge of film which allows for him to direct and edit all of his own videos. Read on as Deletto details what his goals were for the “All We Are” music video and how it all relates back to his own personal views on seeking the right personal and professional help when you’re in need.

Guest Blog with Deletto on the inspirations for the “All We Are” music video and its relation to his own personal experiences with mental health:

When coming up with the idea for the music video, I pulled some inspiration from my own experiences and created a story that forces you to lose focus of the higher risk individual. You see so much of the main character’s situation that it distracts you from the character who is an immediate danger to himself. I wanted to represent how we can sometimes get caught up in our own situations, it potentially overshadows when someone else is calling out for help. I wanted to challenge the viewer and give them all the necessary pieces to a story they think they knew all about.

Check out the single artwork for “All We Are:”

We sometimes have a tendency to make assumptions and conclude someone’s story before even reaching the ending. Communication is nothing without listening. Watching the video with the full perspective of each character’s situation takes the shock and surprise away. You are left watching a horrible event unfold due to the lack of communication and the lack of awareness. You are left watching something completely avoidable. Suicide is and always will be avoidable.

Proper treatment is out there for everyone, and I wanted to showcase some of this with my video. It was so important to have the main character end in therapy. I also wanted to make sure his friend was already there, which helps show how important it is to support each other, and not to be afraid of seeking help. There is no need to hide anything. We will only get better and become stronger together rather than doing this alone. We can find comfort and support talking to our loved ones, but there comes a point when our mental health needs extra care. Being able to seek proper treatment mentally deserves serious high praise, and should be discussed with the power and impact it can have. Lives are saved this way. My life was saved this way.

If you pay attention to my performance shots in this video, you will see young kids at a park skating. That park is the same park used for this music video and is the park my friends and I used to skate at. I am very fortunate for the friends I had, who took the time to pay attention and talk to me when they noticed something was wrong. They helped me stay positive during a rough time in my life, and because of that, I felt protected. It went a step further when I came across my therapist Daniel Gross.

Also off of Oldkid, watch the music video for “Where The Wild Sleep”:

This is something I am so proud to talk about because I’ve had poor experiences with professional help before, which negatively impacted my feelings towards therapy. This man changed everything for me! He put perspective in my life on such a relatable level that couldn’t have been done by anyone else at the time. This is why there are professionals, and why it is so important we openly talk about therapy as an option. It took my friends to help me feel better, but it took a professional to help me work at becoming better. The right professional is out there for someone, it may not present itself right away, but keep trying. Keep going until you find that connection.

If this music video is to do one thing, I really hope it inspires. Inspires us to take action and educate ourselves. Inspires us to have the conversations that feel uncomfortable, make the phone calls we are afraid to make, and do whatever it takes to make sure everyone is ok. The unfortunate reality is, sometimes we aren’t ok. Sometimes we don’t want to tell you we aren’t okay, we hide it and continue trying to fight it on our own. The ability to understand and see when someone is struggling takes a little work. It means, read about depression, it means learn about the proper help channels, it means talk to your friends and family. Let’s take the time and talk. Don’t let someone’s story end. Together we can help continue the conversation.

A very quick thank you to Dan, and to all those who make an effort to let everyone know, this feeling is not final, tomorrow will come, and so will something new.