A Dreamy Night with Del Water Gap

Photographs by Eloise Beath

Del Water Gap is the solo project of American songwriter and producer S. Holden Jaffe.

Inspired by “romantic encounters and dimly lit rooms”, DWG’s music oozes intimacy, desire and jealousy. Since releasing the Don’t Get DarkEP in 2019, Del Water Gap has put out a series of singles, the most recent being All We Ever Do Is Talk, released in June. Exploring the early days of a relationship and the disillusionment that the passion is only temporary.

Before his Splendour in The Grass set this weekend, Jaffe delighted fans with sideshows at Sydney’s Oxford Art Factory and Melbourne’s Howler. Crammed into a sold-out Howler Theatre, DWG kicked off his set with Better Than I Know Myself, a dreamy indie-pop track that is “about closeness and the ache to be wanted and the fear of someone changing their mind on you”. Jaffe’s stage presence is immediately captivating, using every inch of the stage at his disposal.

Photographs by Eloise Beath

Del Water Gap’s fans were the most enthusiastic crowd I’d seen for some time. There were moments of pause during the more sombre tunes, such as Shortest Love Song and passionate crowd participation during the upbeat indie-pop bangers like Perfume (a clear fan favourite). A fan even offered up their phone for Jaffe to capture their BeReal from on stage.

Surprising fans with a wicked cover of Avril Lavignes ‘Complicated’, DWG offered up a fresh new take on the classic track, however, to mine, and a few vocal fans, confusion, introduced it as a cover from one of his favourite Australian artists. A confusing yet hilarious mistake, we won’t hold it against him though. Del Water Gap rounded out the show with Ode To a Conversation Stuck in Your Throat. Apop-rock anthem dealing with that “what are we?” conversation that can be oh so nerve-racking in the early days of a relationship.

With a new album on the horizon (releasing this September), Del Water Gaps’ exceptional balance between melancholic dreamy tracks and hard-hitting bops makes him a force to be reckoned with in the indie pop realm. If you missed him this time around, DWG announced he’ll be back in Oz sometime next year, so keep your eyes peeled!