INTERVIEW: Daffo

The songwriting project of Brooklyn-based, Philly-raised Gabi Gamberg, Daffo‘s debut album Where The Earth Bends was a definite highlight of 2025 for me, and it’s still pretty much on repeat since its release in September. Interweaving a scuzzy indie-pop musicality with a searing raw emotion and glistening heartfelt grace, it’s a deeply personal and beautifully resonant collection that showcases Gamberg’s unique gift for writing songs that really do feel like they reach out and gently caress how you’re feeling.

Since the album’s release, Gamberg has been relentlessly touring both Europe and the US, and only now just seems to be winding down. We were lucky enough to catch up with them to talk about the album, the DIY music community, Capitalism, pillow cases and more. Have a read, make sure you check out the exquisite sounds of of Where The Earth Bends (if – for some reason – you’ve missed it / been under a rock for the last six months), and also watch / listen to their poignant cover of Arthur Russell’s ‘I Couldn’t Say It To Your Face‘ which they shared earlier this month.

Hi Gabi! Welcome to Get In Her Ears! How are you doing today?
Good! I’m glad to have have a day off of tour finally – I got to sleep my usual 12 hours, lol. 

Are you able to tell us a bit about what initially inspired you to start creating music?
I guess it was always in me. Maybe always around me. So, I was always drawn to it. Plus my parents said I had to take music lessons when I was like 6!

I love the raw stirring emotion and scuzzy musicality of your songs, but who would you consider to be your main musical influences?
Probably Elliott Smith is the big one. I also feel like Frankie Cosmos and Alex G were big ones for me.

Your debut album Where The Earth Bends came out last year –  it really is a beautiful collection from start to finish (and was one of our ‘Albums Of 2025’), big congratulations! It’s said to deal with emotions ranging from rage and shame, to self-acceptance and resolve – are you able to tell us a bit more about this and how your experiences inspired your writing?
Well, my writing has always been an outlet for me, so when I experience big emotions I usually feel like writing about them in order to process them fully. And that ultimately led to the songs on my record. 

And – tricky question (sorry!) –  do you have a favourite track on the album? (I think mine might be ‘Carrot Fingers’, though I love them all)
‘Carrot Fingers’ is definitely one of my favourites as well. But I think, right now, my favourite is still ‘Sideways’ – I just love the way it turned out and the song means a lot to me. 

How would you say the process of recording the album has differed from your previous releases?
I think I took more time making the songs – I was more intentional with everything. 

From a young age, it seems like you’ve been really involved in the DIY music community where you’ve lived, which is something close to our hearts at Get In Her Ears. Why do you think these close knit communities are so important for artists? And how has being a part of one helped you personally?
It really allows you the space to explore and grow as an artist. The art world can be a very competitive place, and the DIY scene really is very welcoming to everyone, so you have the space to mess up and learn.

We were lucky enough to catch you live at The Great Escape in Brighton earlier this year – such a great show! How was this experience for you? And how was your recent trip to the UK last month?
Festivals can be hard! You don’t have a sound check and it all goes by very quick. But you get to play to a diverse fan base, which is a great opportunity and ultimately very fun. The UK was great! I had good beer for the first time in my life.

And, when you’re out on tour, or playing gigs, are there any particular essentials that you like to have with you to keep you going?
I always need to have my own pillow case to keep me safe from all the detergent I’m allergic to, lol. Other than that, as long as I have some sort of simple snack like corn chips or carrots I’m good. 

Has there been a specific show you’ve played over the years that stands out as a particular highlight?
I think the release show I did at someone’s apartment was the best. It was packed out and the first time I’ve had people sing my lyrics with me. 

As we’re an organisation with a focus on supporting new and marginalised artists, I just wondered how you feel the industry is for them at the moment? And do you feel much has changed over the years in its treatment of female and queer artists?
Well, Capitalism is rooted in racism and sexism. We live in a Capitalist society, so you tell me. Can we really have a capitalist music industry where we are all treated with the same respect…? Most artists don’t even earn a fraction of what we are owed. I don’t know, this is a very hard question, I could write a whole essay (but I won’t because i hate writing essays!). 

And are there any other bands or artists that you’d recommend we check out at the moment?
I’ve been loving earth 2 tiffany recently. I also love Superfan and Shmoo.

Huge thanks to Gabi for answering our questions! We can’t wait to hear more from them soon, and for now you can listen to Where The Earth Bends on repeat (like I do), and watch the new video for their poignant cover of Arthur Russell’s ‘I Couldn’t Say It To Your Face‘.

Photo Credit: Sam Penn

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Video Premiere: The Schla La Las – ‘1234’

Celebrating 20 years since their first EP, London’s favourite pop-and-roll band The Schla La Las are high-kicking their way back into your heart and onto your stereo after eighteen years away! Consisting of original line-up Piney Gir, George, Katrin, Vee and Delia, the band remain a vital force of high-octane energy, inspiring a new generation of girls to pick up a guitar, bass, or pair of drumsticks, grab a microphone and let out a rebel yell!

Having spent the early noughties dazzling crowds with their matching outfits, close harmonies and duelling guitars, the London based band have returned to win our hearts with the release of new single ‘1234’, a tune that shows off their punky, poppy, pounding sounds and sugar-sweet allure in all its glory. The release comes ahead of more celebratory releases to mark their debut’s 20th anniversary. 

And now, accompanying the video, is a gorgeously cute, strangely empowering, lego-filled stop-motion video. Watch it for the first time below. In the band’s words:

“Yes, the rumours are true. ‘00s darlings The Schla La Las are back back BACK and high-kicking their way onto a sound bar near you. London’s favourite pop and roll girl gang waved goodbye from the main stage at Truck festival eighteen years ago after their debut EP twenty years ago, but they’ve picked up their guitars again. They were – and remain – a vital force of high-energy entertainment and, while your first born sons are probably safe these days, you might want to keep a close eye on your dad. And your mum. Their single ‘1234’ has been remastered and the video polished to cinematic standard by its creator Ben Cowell-Thomas, whose visual effects credits include the Fast & Furious franchise, Deadpool and Men in Black: International.”


Counting BBC 6Music’s Marc Riley and ‘00s legend Beth Ditto amongst their fans, The Schla La Las have played at numerous festivals, appeared in i-D Magazine alongside Florence Welch and Paloma Faith, and built a solid reputation across the UK for their joyous live shows. So, make sure you catch them back on stage on 15th November at Dream Bags Jaguar Shoes – it promises to be a memorable night! Tickets here.

‘1234’ is out now via No Distance Records.


Mari Lane
@mari_getinherears

 

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Video Premiere: The Dead Zoo – ‘Bruise’

Having wowed us all with their fiercely joyous energy headlining a packed out album launch show at New River Studios a couple of weeks back, London post-punk faves The Dead Zoo are now sharing a brand new video ahead of their debut album’s release on 25th July.

Showcasing The Dead Zoo’s ability to create immersive, brooding soundscapes, ‘Bruise‘ reflects on both the pain and triumph of transformation. Combining swirling atmospherics with ’80s-inspired dark basslines, the sonic equivalent of a nocturnal drive through a Lynchian landscape is created; a mood which is perfectly visualised through the cinematic splendour of this new video. As the resonant gritty power of front woman Kaoru Sato’s vocals glisten throughout, ‘Bruise’ offers a pulsating, multi-layered soundscape that will captivate the senses on first listen.

The new video for ‘Bruise’, directed by Stacy Picard, is out now – let yourself be swallowed up by its raw shimmering majesty.


‘Bruise’ is the first single to be taken from The Dead Zoo’s upcoming debut album, Suspects. Three years in the making, Suspects refracts listeners through the intangible prisms of introspection, reflection, self-discovery and hope. With this latest release, The Dead Zoo harness all the post-punk verve, rousing guitar noise and queer dreamy energy that you could ever desire. The album was recorded with producer James Aparicio (Grinderman, Spiritualized, Depeche Mode, Throw Down Bones). 


Suspects is set for release on 25th July, pre-order here. And you can catch The Dead Zoo live on 26th July at the Trans Pride After Party at Walthamstow Trades Hall – tickets here.



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Introducing Interview: Calva Louise

Having been big fans of London based international band Calva Louise‘s colossal soaring metal inspired sounds for a number of years, we’ve been loving the recent run of cinematic sci-fi inspired singles. Set in the alternative universe laid out in previous singles ‘La Corriente‘ and ‘Under The Skin‘, latest single ‘WTF‘ showcases front woman Jess Allanic’s fierce vocal with an immense power, showcasing the band’s innovative creativity; an evocative fusion of fantastical fiction with a searing sense of urgency.

We caught up with Jess to find out more about the recent singles, the band’s inspirations and their recent tour with Indian metal band Bloodywood. Have read, and watch the video for ‘WTF’, below!

Hi Jess, hope you’re well! Thanks so much for speaking to Get In Her Ears. We’ve been huge fans of Calva Louise here at Get In Her Ears since first hearing your debut album, Rhinoceros, back in 2019! But for those who don’t know, are you able to tell us a little bit about Calva Louise and how you all got together to start creating awesome music? 
Each of us grew up in three different continents and landed in London at the same time looking for the same musical experience. I came from Venezuela to France and met Alizon when I was 16, then met Ben in London and together we formed Calva Louise in 2016, looking to build a solid musical project. When we were struggling to understand more about the music industry, we felt as if we were living a kind of absurdity, like the characters in Ionesco’s play La Cantante Calva -in Spanish – which combined with Louise – the name of the main character of the Lore – resulted in Calva Louise.

And are there any particular musicians or artists who inspire your writing?
The sound influences for us evolves continuously, but started from bands like Muse, SOAD, QOTSA, Molotov, Calle 13, Cafe Tacvba, Carpenter Brut, Ghost and currently Spiritbox.

We love the immense, ferocious power of your latest single ‘W.T.F’ – can you tell us a bit about the track, and what inspired it?
It turns basically around the concept of the human duality represented by the existence of two sides in the human life experience. Following the characters from the Lore of the story that I started to write when I was 10 years old, the both sides are identical in appearance and are called ‘The Travellers’ and their counterparts ‘The Doubles’.

The single is linked to your previous releases ‘La Corriente’ and ‘Under The Skin’, all set within a science fiction alternative reality – are you able to explain a bit more about this and the story behind the tracks? 
As the music videos form part of a larger science fiction project to provide an immersive experience for the audience, all Calva Louise’s songs are linked as prequels or sequels of the first of their Lore’s video production – ‘Camino’, which was released in 2020. The video graphic sequences are constantly evolving with each new song, following the new effects skills that I’m learning continuously, and also dependent on the budget that the band can afford for each new video production, which is currently practically 0… Linked to this part of the story, the conflict arose when the Travellers met their Doubles before the arrival of the hybrid predators coming from other worlds. The sequels continue showing how some Doubles were corrupted with addictive substances injected by the hybrids under their skins, to steal the life energy from them and in consequence from their avatars that are the Travellers, who are the organic human beings like us. The Doubles are their inorganic source of energy, and the hybrids are half organic and half machines, who steal life energy as food to their survival in the hidden worlds.

And how has the songwriting process been for these recent singles, has it been quite different from your previous recordings? 
Since the beginning, I had a plan for the releases based on three different perspectives, where the lyrics represent our experience as we the humans live in this world. The symbolism represents portals to new perceptions of reality through our dreams, and the music and videos represent the unification of both sides in an unknown dimension where all perceptions are intertwined, including foreign energy predation coming from other worlds.

You’re originally from Venezuala, with your band mates Alizon from France and Ben from New Zealand – a truly international band! How have you found the music scene compares in those places to here in the UK? And how do you find all being from different places affects your experience as a band? 
British and American rock music are the common basis for all of us since we were kids, but the Latin rock music is the most particular and individual influence on me as songwriter.

I’ve been lucky enough to catch you live a couple of times (over here at a John Kennedy event at Omeara, and in New York supporting Slothrust in 2022), and both times have been completely blown away by your incredible energy and fiercely immersive musicality! Has there been a particular show over the years that stands out as a highlight for you?    
This current tour supporting Indian metal band, Bloodywood. It’s been the best experience ever!

Generally, when you’re out on tour, are there any particular essentials that you like to take with you to keep you going?
My computer in a custom case that Alizon built for me so I can finish the new videos between the soundchecks and the shows and on the days off.

As we’re an organisation with a focus on supporting new and marginalised artists, I just wondered how you feel the industry is for them at the moment? And do you feel much has changed over the years in its treatment of female and queer artists? 
It still needs a lot of work, it’s a fact that artists are always at the bottom of the industry. Things are slowly changing, but more needs to be done! 

And are there any other exciting bands or artists that you’d recommend we check out at the moment?
Bobby Wolfgang! 

Is there anything else you’d like to add about upcoming plans or particular thoughts you’d like to mention?
We’d love to tour the US again!

Huge thanks to Jess for answering our questions! Watch the cinematic new video for ‘WTF’ here:

Calva Louise are currently on tour with Indian metal band Bloodywood, catch them live at Kentish Town Forum on Thursday 27th March – tickets here.

Photo Credit: Henry Calvert

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