Daffo is Ready to Be Heard
Listen to "Poor Madeline," featuring Searows, below.
Photo by Sam Penn
Just over a year ago, the Crisis Kit EP by Gabi Gamberg had hit my Discover Weekly on Spotify. The infectious and confessional indie rock tunes were songs that Gamberg had written at age 16 and recorded in the bedroom of their friend and collaborator Hudson Pollock. Now at 20, Gamberg has a second EP and an upcoming tour supporting illuminati hotties under their belt, and they’re releasing music under the moniker Daffo. I caught up with Gabi at Goo Fest, a DIY festival held in the patch of grass between two North Philadelphia row homes. This allowed for the strangest environment I’ve conducted an interview in thus far: a punk venue owner’s bedroom.
Goo Fest had just started, and the music seeped through the windows of the bedroom covered in ‘90s band posters. The day of the festival came during what felt like a never-ending heatwave in Philadelphia. Gamberg admits their initial hesitancy about wearing a swimsuit top for the fest, but that seemed to be the wardrobe choice for several other attendants as well, completing the outfit with baggy jorts and vintage cowboy boots. Daffo’s headlining set came as a homecoming of sorts for Gamberg, as they were born and raised in the Philly suburbs. Members of their backing band were in various other groups on the bill, too, with the rotating cast of musicians cheering each other on and singing along throughout the afternoon.
Daffo’s last performance in town had been just three months prior at the Foundry on their tour supporting Sir Chloe. When asked about the upcoming tour with illuminati hotties, Gamberg expressed that they’re “really excited.” “I think it’s definitely going to be pretty different than this last tour, because I feel like Sir Chloe’s audience is kind of younger, like, 14, 15—younger teenagers,” they continued. “I’m not even 21 yet, so the audience is definitely going to be kind of a different experience. I’m probably going to sell less merch—I anticipate that. But I think it’s going to be super cool because illuminati hotties are great.”
Gamberg has been touring the material of their EP Pest, which was released in October 2023. The songs were written during their time as a student at Idyllwild Arts academy in California, and at NYU’s Clive Davis Institute (best known for launching the career of singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers). Gabi dropped out during their second year after being offered the opening slot on Sir Chloe’s tour. “I feel like I never really wanted to go to college, so I was just kind of prepared to drop out as soon as I had a glimpse of any sort of career. I was enrolled in four classes, and I only went to three. I just kind of never have done well in school,” they explained.
More than anything, Gamberg’s peers in the program convinced them to begrudgingly download TikTok. “I definitely don’t enjoy [TikTok], but I enjoy sharing my process with people,” they said. “When I used to do it on Instagram, before I ever had any sort of following, it was just for my friends. I obviously love to share my music, but then you get to a point where it becomes all statistical and [a matter of] ‘What time should I post?’ and ‘How many times am I supposed to be posting a week?’ and ‘How much engagement did this post get?’ It makes it not fun anymore, and I really try to not think too much about it and just do whatever.”