Gambles is the project name used by Matthew Daniel Siskin, a United States artist who begins writing songs under that name in August 2012. The project centres on direct, personal songwriting, with early material described as addressing experiences that had gone unsaid for too long.

Early work

The first publicly released song associated with Gambles is “Trust”. It comes together quickly and spontaneously with Nicolas Vernhes, a long-time friend and collaborator, at the Rare Book Room, where Vernhes keeps a recording studio, label and home. The track is recorded downstairs in the studio in a single take, with no words written in advance.

After “Trust”, Siskin says that a new process begins, with songs arriving without much pre-planning. He describes writing around 20 other songs in a similar way, drawing on lived experience and material he finds difficult to hear played back.

Collaborators and visual work

Grant Singer hears “Trust” and quickly contacts Siskin about working together. A few weeks later, the pair shoot the video for the song in Williamsburg and the Far Rockaways.

Live debut

Gambles gives its first show on 9 December at MoMA PS1 in Long Island City, New York.

Style and character

The project is presented as a stripped-down form of songwriting, with an emphasis on directness, self-examination and the removal of style for its own sake. The name Gambles is used for Siskin’s work as a singer-songwriter with folk, acoustic, electronic and synth-pop associations.