Claud and Del Water Gap headline WERW launch party
Claud and Del Water Gap headline WERW spring launch party
Two indie acts with distinct sounds found common ground Thursday night at the Schine Underground as WERW kicked off another semester as Syracuse University’s independent radio station.
New York City’s Del Water Gap and Claud, the new musical project from former SU Bandier Program student Claud Mintz, connected with the small but enthusiastic crowd there to support the online student-run radio station, ultimately creating a scene that wasn’t much different from a music festival side stage performance.
Del Water Gap is the solo project of songwriter S. Holden Jaffe. Until now, he and his band only played at college venues but are going on their first tour beginning this month. Jaffe is looking forward to the tour and having more interaction with his fans.
“It’s been a really solitary project for me for a while, sitting in my room and working on songs and that’s been amazing but it gets you to gaslight oneself into feeling like it’s all in my head,” Jaffe said. “Humanizing it by meeting people is really special.”
Del Water Gap’s second EP released in 2017 is entitled 1 (646) 943 2672 after a working phone number that fans can call to leave Jaffe a message. He says he still gets 20 to 30 voicemails a week and plans to keep the line open indefinitely “until AT&T goes under.”
Del Water Gap is releasing new music in the coming weeks, including a new single next week and an album in March. The band will also be performing next month at South by Southwest on Saturday, March 16.
For information on dates and tickets to Del Water Gap’s upcoming tour, visit the Del Water Gap official website or listen to them on Spotify.
Claud said that they were glad to be back on campus to perform and see SU friends. They released their EP out of their dorm under the name Toast with Terrible Records before leaving SU.
“It’s been a good way to see what else I can do,” they said about the experience of leaving school to peruse music full time.
Claud, whose lyrics are deeply emotional and relatable, said their biggest inspiration for writing comes from people watching.
“I make up stories about what I think people are going through,” they said.
Claud’s music can be characterized by its introspective lyrics and melodic tones.
Claud has played multiple shows within the past few weeks, including a sold-out show in New York City’s Mercury Lounge. They are playing South by Southwest on March 16 as well.
For more information or to buy tickets to upcoming performances, visit Claud’s official website or listen to them on Spotify.
is a contributor to The NewsHouse.
is a photographer for The NewsHouse.
