Feature: Daffo's 'Where the Earth Bends' Offers an Unfiltered Reflection on Facing Your Vices - Atwood Magazine

      ‘Where the Earth Bends’ marks Gabi Gamberg's monumental debut full-length album under the name Daffo. Gamberg showcases their ability to delve into new sonic realms while remaining grounded in their roots, offering an album that is both intricately composed and refreshingly candid.

      Stream: ‘Where the Earth Bends’ – Daffo

      Perhaps I feel a sense of pride. Perhaps I’m simply feeling exposed.

      * * *

      When I first met Gabi Gamberg, we were at the start of a hiking trail. It was my friend's 23rd birthday, and we were on the hunt for a waterfall to escape the sweltering heat of Los Angeles. After exchanging friendly hellos and warm, sweaty hugs, we formed a winding line of underprepared hikers, burdened by heavy denim and noisy carabiners. We discussed their work, which I had admired for a few years. They shared their experiences adjusting to life in LA and their mixed emotions about touring. I told them this was my first visit to Southern California, yet I was reluctant to leave.

      I noticed that even when not singing, Gamberg’s voice possessed a unique musicality, rising and falling at just the right moments. They seemed to embody music, with an instrumental quality evident in their gestures, from tying their shoes to gently touching my friend's shoulder. The second time I encountered Gamberg was over Zoom for our interview. Despite being on opposite coasts, our discussion transported me back to the Malibu skyline. Their brutal honesty and vulnerability remained steadfast, turning even the simplest interview questions into profound reflections.

      Gabi Gamberg's debut album as Daffo, ‘Where the Earth Bends’, is available now.

      Gamberg began violin training at six. A few years later, their father introduced them to the guitar, and they quickly outpaced him in skill. “I got good enough at it to play my own songs well,” Gamberg shared with a laugh. After facing undiagnosed ADHD during high school, they transferred to Idyllwild, a residential music school in California. Though Idyllwild was far from the daffodil-strewn yard of their childhood home in the Philadelphia suburbs, it was a necessary change.

      “It was definitely a survival tactic,” they said, admitting to Googling “music school” and selecting the first option. Suddenly, Gamberg encountered the discipline and structure that had previously deterred them from the violin, but this time felt different. They acquired both technical and conceptual skills that shifted their artistic direction. “One key takeaway from songwriting school was identifying which lines are essential. If every line is necessary, you’ve crafted a truly great song.”

      The music of Gabi Gamberg, known as Daffo, is filled with intent. Each chord progression, pick slide, and abstract metaphor carries a purposeful weight resulting from the deeply personal nature of Gamberg's artistry. This rawness stems partly from their desire to create a connection with their audience through transparency.

      In their second TikTok, which has since garnered 1.3 million views over two years, Gamberg is illuminated by warm bedroom light, donned in a pointed green cap. They lean in closer to the camera, declaring breathlessly, “I had this bizarre dream last night where my body was expanding and woke up with a song in my head that makes no sense.” Grasping an acoustic guitar, they impulsively launch into the first verse of “The Experiment,” the track that would propel their musical journey.

      Now aged 21, Gamberg remains the eager musician who went viral just a day before their nineteenth birthday. The distinction lies in their now sold-out performances alongside acts like illuminati hotties, Annie DiRusso, and Blondshell, with an upcoming tour alongside Wednesday, and the recent release of their debut album, ‘Where the Earth Bends’ under Concord Records. The record offers candid insights into maturity, mental health challenges, and confronting personal flaws, paired with earthy instrumentals, ethereal Mellotron, and vibrant drums.

      Produced by Rob Schnapf, known for his work with artists like Elliott Smith, Beck, and Cat Power, this debut album channels a fresh energy while staying true to Gamberg's folksy, melancholic roots. Shifting between soulful ballads and resonant bass, Gamberg reveals their most authentic self.

      The album kicks off with “Get a Life,” an affectionate yet biting commentary on overthinking. The track starts with gritty electric guitar riffs, quickly accompanied by urgent drums. “The flower at your feet was alive until you stepped on it,” Gamberg articulates. “But you were in a hurry on your path to nowhere / Now when you look back on all the paths you’ve traversed / There will be no flower there.”

      As Gamberg sings, their voice dances over hi-hats and flutters down back beats, quivering and solidifying at