The late Arthur Russell didn't release his heart-rendingly gorgeous song "I Couldn't Say It To Your Face" during his lifetime. Russell died of complications from AIDS in 1992, and he achieved cult-hero status thanks to a series of reissues of his music years later. "I Couldn't Say It To Your Face" finally came out on Love Is Overtaking Me, the 2008 collection of his country-leaning songs, and it has since become one of his most beloved works. Today, Daffo shares her version of it.
Daffo, also known as LA singer-songwriter Gabi Gamberg, released their Rob Schnapf-produced debut album Where The Earth Bends last year, and they just wrapped up a tour with Wednesday. Schapf also produced their lovely, twangy take on "I Couldn't Say It To Your Face," and indie OG Lance Bangs directed the blurry video. Here's what Daffo says about the song in a press release:
What can I say? I love Arthur Russell, and I love to sing this song. I always used to harmonize to the song when I listened to it, and I love recording with Rob Schnapf and Matt Schuessler, so I thought it would be super cool to get to make my version of the song come to life. I had my friends Nick Wilkerson (drums) and Aidan Finn (guitar, mellotron) come in and add their pieces to it. It was ultimately just a lot of fun!
And here's Lance Bangs:
Daffo and I met last year and wanted to find something to make together. Arthur Russell's recordings are what it feels like inside my head most of the time, so when Daffo covered his song "I Couldn't Say It To Your Face" we agreed to meet up in Los Angeles and make this video. We shot once it was dark so that we could use an open shutter and have the light streak and smear at five frames per second. Daffo's performance of the song is genuine and transfixing, and we filmed in places that felt like the sense of leaving in the song itself. We borrowed the acoustic guitar from producer Rob Schnapf, which Daffo has been using on their sessions together. The guitar looked and sounded great, and I recognized it from when Rob had loaned it to Elliott Smith for many of their recordings. It was great to film with it again and to conjure this video with Daffo and friends.
Below, check out the video for Daffo's take on "I Couldn't Say It To Your Face," as well as the original Arthur Russell recording.
Where The Earth Bends is out now on Concord.
