Del Water Gap

Del Water Gap is the indie pop solo project of Samuel Holden Jaffe (also known as S. Holden Jaffe), an American musician and record producer based in Brooklyn, New York. He rose to prominence following the release of the single "Ode to a Conversation Stuck in Your Throat" in 2020. He has subsequently released two studio albums with Mom + Pop Music.

Career

Inception and early career

Jaffe is from Sharon, Connecticut. While at boarding school in Millbrook, New York, Jaffe first recorded as Del Water Gap. The name was inspired by the Delaware Water Gap. Jaffe cites seeing the name handwritten on the back of a box truck in Sharpie at the age of seventeen. At the time of the project's inception, Jaffe was playing drums in a noise rock band in which "they wouldn’t really let me sing." He later attended the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at New York University (NYU) to study music and sound production. Band membership changed often as Jaffe entered college. There, he connected with Maggie Rogers, who played in the first incarnation of Del Water Gap. She was in the band for six months. After two of the people he had started the project with dropped out, Jaffe took on Del Water Gap as a solo project.

In 2013, Del Water Gap released his first EP, Del Water Gap EP. In 2017, he independently released the EP 1 (646) 943 2672, named after the number for a burner phone he encouraged fans to call.

In 2018, Jaffe released the single "Laid Down My Arms" on Terrible Records. In 2019, he released the singles "Chastain" and "Theory of Emotion" ahead of his third EP, Don't Get Dark, also on Terrible Records. In 2019, he released the EP Alive From Fresno, which included seven tracks recorded live.

2020–present: "Ode to a Conversation Stuck in Your Throat" and mainstream success

In 2020, Del Water Gap released "Ode to a Conversation Stuck in Your Throat" and "Mariposa" on Atlantic Records. In July 2020, "Ode to a Conversation Stuck in Your Throat" gained widespread attention after actresses Margaret Qualley and Kaitlyn Dever posted an Instagram video of themselves performing a "socially distant dance party" to the song during the first summer of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Also in 2020, Jaffe featured on "New Song" with Maggie Rogers as part of her compilation album Notes from the Archive: Recordings 2011–2016. Jaffe also collaborated with Rogers on her second album, Surrender, co-writing and producing the singles "Want Want" and "Anywhere With You" alongside Rogers and Kid Harpoon. He also worked with Claud on the single "My Body" and co-wrote and produced Claud's "Never Meant to Call".

In 2021, Jaffe released his debut LP Del Water Gap on Mom + Pop Music. He toured internationally to support the album.

In 2023, Jaffe released the album I Miss You Already + I Haven’t Left Yet. The recording process took approximately 18 months over 40 studio sessions. It features collaborations with musicians such as Clairo and Arlo Parks. The album, his second release on Mom + Pop, debuted at number 97 on the Top Current Album Sales chart.

Jaffe has opened for artists such as Niall Horan, girl in red, Arlo Parks, Holly Humberstone, Jeremy Zucker, Maggie Rogers and Mt. Joy.

Performances

Tours

Headliner

• I Miss You Already + I Haven't Left Yet On Tour - UK + Europe (2024)
• I Miss You Already + I Haven't Left Yet On Tour - North America (2023)
• Del Water Gap - UK + Europe Tour (2022)
• Del Water Gap - North America Tour (2021, 2022)

Opening act

• Niall Horan – The Show: Live on Tour (2024)
• Maggie Rogers - Feral Joy Tour (2023)
• Arlo Parks - Collapsed in Sunbeams Tour (2022)
• girl in red - Make It Go Quiet Tour (2022)
• Jeremy Zucker - MORE NOISE !!! (2021)
• Holly Humberstone - Live at the Roxy Theatre (2021)

Festivals

• Shaky Knees Music Festival (2024)
• Newport Folk Festival (2023)
• Austin City Limits (2023)
• Splendour in the Grass (2023)
• Governors Ball Music Festival (2022)
• Lollapalooza (2022)
• Outside Lands (2022)
• All Things Go (2021)
• Firefly Music Festival (2021)

Television

• Late Night with Seth Meyers – January 26, 2022

Discography

Studio albums

Extended plays

Singles

As lead artist

As featured artist

Songwriting and production credits

Music videos

Notes

References

Further reading

• Del Water Gap Could Have Been “The Baloney Pony” - Interview Magazine

External links

• Del Water Gap at AllMusic
• Del Water Gap discography at Discogs
• Del Water Gap at IMDb