Siamese Berto’s release documentary on their music

In January 2023, identical twins Matt and Mark DiLiberto wrote and produced a documentary all about their band, Siamese Berto’s music and their creative process.

“Siamese Berto’s: Unplugged in Seattle” premiered on January 15, 2024 and is both a film and live compilation on their band. The indie music documentary takes viewers on a musical journey behind the scenes for the making of The Siamese Berto’s first indie album from 2013.

The Siamese Berto’s filmed, edited, wrote, produced & self-distributed their film with no formal music lessons or film experience. The doc features music from The Siamese Berto’s “Rainy Day Ruminating” album.

Siamese Berto’s is a three-piece band, now in Seattle. The film features Matt, his twin brother Mark, and their friend Stevie B. who are all from NEPA. Matt plays the jambay drums, guitar, and buckles. Mark does vocals, guitar, harmonica, and keys. Steve performs lead guitar.

“I wanted to do something a little bit different. I’ve watched music documentaries, and they all were about the same,” said Matt DiLiberto

The film is a blast from the past back to the New Wave 80’s & 90’s grunge music scene. 90s music has been influential to the Siamese Berto’s.

“Many people say 90s music isn’t a thing anymore, but I think music lives forever. The thing I like about 90s music is that the lyrics have depth. The lyrics are deep, palpable, and something rarely seen in other genres,” said Matt DiLiberto. “I really like how they celebrate vulnerability.”

That honesty helps others overcome challenges and helps musicians connect with fans. People crave something relevant to their own lives in music, and The Siamese Berto’s aimed to capture that in their film.

“Some of our songs relay ways you can overcome depression through expressing yourself with music in a positive way, using art and poetry to fight depression and increase happiness,” said Matt DiLiberto.

“Siamese Berto’s: Unplugged in Seattle” includes 25 to 30 original songs, with only a small amount of narration. They let the lyrics tell the story. The scenes feature live compilations, digital recordings, and more aspects revealing the band’s creative process.

The film also converges music, film, as well as art. Many of the songs began as a poem. Art and photography also a crucial part of the film, some of it created by Matt DiLiberto but much of it was made by his mother!

Everybody in their family has always loved music, and much of the twins’ interest came from their father’s love of jazz. Their whole family all helped make this film come to life and are an essential part of the story. Their family originally worked in the mines and railroad industry that has shaped the Greater Scranton region. They utilize elements coal mining elements in the documentary.

“We want to tie in our family’s ancestry when they came here to work in the mines, our grandparents and family,” said Matt DiLiberto.

The film features plenty of outdoor photography, much of which is taken by their mom. The shots included in the documentary may be familiar to locals, including the Ashley Huber Breaker that has since been taken down.

“We think that we’re disconnected from the outdoors and don’t get as much time to spend with family and friends. A message from the documentary is that less is more!” said Matt DiLiberto.

Matt DiLiberto hopes to spread joy and inspiration with this music documentary. “A lot of times the money, power, status isn’t shared with others but poetry and music — that makes us feel more human,” said Matt DiLiberto.

He said he’d never be able to do all this without the inspiration and support of friends and family.

“It was my brother’s idea first in 2013 to do the album and I helped him out, but then the music documentary is something I always wanted to do since I was in my 20s and he helped me out this time,” said Matt DiLiberto. “It took me 20 some years to get around to it.”

Mark DiLiberto said of the film’s creation, “Creating a music album from scratch is a great reprieve and outlet. It’s a wonderful way to creatively express and share with others who can also hopefully relate and benefit from some of the things in the film.”

Matt reminds us it’s important to remember the journey is the destination and to enjoy yourself along the way. Embrace the adventure and trust the process. He and Mark hope to share that message with others through this music documentary.

Purchase and watch “Siamese Berto’s: Unplugged in Seattle” on their documentary website. There’s also an 80s/90s music quiz woven into the film for an added interactive element. Directions are on the site!

Siamese Berto’s hopes to host an official film-screening as they continue making original music and distribute their indie documentary.