It’s not unusual for young artists to overcome hardship. In many cases, it’s character-building. But few will ever face obstacles quite as daunting as those that confronted Darro. While studying music in Spain, the pop-punk singer-songwriter was diagnosed with a serious brain tumor. After surgery, treatment, and an arduous recovery, he’s made it out the other side, and he’s singing and playing as exuberantly as he ever has. But an experience like that leaves indelible marks on a person’s psyche. Some artists might run from that, or try to obscure it; Darro, forthright as he is, is determined to use his platform to inspire others to stand up to the challenges that confront them. And as the playful, energetic, and ultimately life-affirming video for “You’re Not Insane,” his newest single, demonstrates, he’s also more than willing to poke fun at himself and his story. The track is the ideal place to start with Darro’s music. It’s upbeat, tuneful, instantly memorable; it’s scruffy enough for the skatepark and immediate enough for a radio playlist. Darro sings it in a classic pop-punk yelp, strums it with the urgency and pent-up energy of a true survivor. The track is a highlight of the upcoming Songs Of Recovery, 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 – and his sense of humor – intact. About the video Though the subject matter is serious, the “You’re Not Insane” clip keeps things lighthearted. The video opens with Darro in a position with which he’s all too familiar: on his back in a hospital bed with a MRI scan of his skull on a video monitor nearby. Yet before the first bar of the song is completed, Darro is up like a shot and on his feet. He’s okay, but the world around him has gone mad – everyone he meets on the street has the sunken eyes and aggressive demeanor of a lunatic. Even Darro’s band plays to a dancing crowd in white asylum gowns. Only when the singer drops his reserve and dons a gown of his own does he finally get comfortable. He’s come to accept his condition – and as he does, he transcends it.