For more than twenty years, Daniel “DeLa” Delacruz has been a pillar of Slightly Stoopid’s unmistakable live energy — the saxophonist whose horn lines cut through hazy reggae grooves with jazz-trained precision. But behind the scenes, much of DeLa’s creative evolution has been shaped by a moment that nearly took him off the stage for good: the discovery of a brain tumor that required massive, life-altering surgery.
“Without having this massive, life-changing brain surgery that I had, Karl Denson would have never really came into the fold with Stoopid as much as he did,” DeLa says. During his recovery, the legendary saxophonist stepped in to sub for him — a move that not only kept the band rolling, but forged a creative bond that would guide DeLa into a new chapter of his musical life. “We became fast friends and have remained so,” he explains. “He was the impetus for my first record… he created a monster.”
That “monster” has grown into a steadily building solo catalog rooted in the jazz-forward Boston scene where DeLa first learned to play. After years in San Diego, returning home reconnected him with old musicians who sparked his early passion. “It was important to kind of put the new voice with the players that I was playing with,” he says. “A lot of those guys that I learned to play music with are still out there doing it every night, grinding, playing killing music.”
His newest single, “Living Life This Way,” is a reflection of everything that shaped him — the jazz discipline of Boston, the expansive energy of the California reggae circuit, and the spiritual chemistry of a live show. Built on a recreation of Don Corleon’s iconic Drop Leaf Riddim, the track explores the sacred exchange between artist and audience. “The exchange of energy between the artist and the crowd is everything. It’s everything,” DeLa says. “Whatever you’re giving us, we’re going to give back to you. And vice-versa.”
After spending his career supporting vocalists and frontmen, DeLa is stepping into a new vulnerability: singing his own songs. It’s a shift encouraged heavily by Denson and his Slightly Stoopid bandmate Paul Wolstencroft. “When somebody that you respect or admire musically is kind of like, ‘Yeah, man, go ahead and sing that. You sound good,’ you’re like, oh, okay — I can do this.”
Rather than chase the traditional album cycle, DeLa is focusing on releasing singles consistently. “I’m not working towards a full album right now,” he says. “I just want to release music as consistently as I can.”
For an artist who has spent decades elevating other people’s music, “Living Life This Way” feels like DeLa’s declaration of purpose — a reminder that life is fragile, creativity is sacred, and the energy we share on stage or off is everything. And after surviving what he has, he’s not wasting a second of it.
Watch the full interview with DeLa and Steady Rock Easy below:
Photo credit: Nathaniel Gary, USA TODAY, USA TODAY Acoustic Series
