Purveyors of: Punk goth after-hours club soundtracks
File next to: The Cramps, Joy Division, The Contortions, Wipers
Playing #WL13 Thursday, February 14 @ The Shop under Parts & Labour

Ell V Gore has been likened to The Cramps meet Joy Division, a comparison that doesn’t really capture their propulsive energy. Part of that comes from their mic-chewing frontman with a neo James Chance swagger, Elliott Jones. Coming out of the Burnt Oak Records DIY scene in Guelph before coming to Toronto, you may know him from his former project Brides, or perhaps as one of the brains behind Pretty Pretty, which started as a monthly dance party and has evolved into a mostly electronic record label hosting the likes of Yacht Club, Prince Innocence, Kontravoid, Tarantula X and Sins. A guy with this much going on can be tough to keep tabs on, so Wavelength’s Ryan McLaren emailed Elliott on a cold and blustery night to get up to speed.

You don't strike me as the kind of person that likes to talk about himself. How do you feel about answering questions about your band?

I’ve been warming up. I’ve got a lot on my plate coming up for EVG, so I figure I better start exposing myself and my beautiful band to the world. Consider this step number one, year of the Gore. Fire away, dude.

You have a new EP coming out this year, yeah? Can you tell us a bit about it? Where/how did you record it?

Yeah, it’s completely done. Ben Cook (Fucked Up, Yacht Club) and Last Gang Records teamed up to create a new, exciting sub-label, and I’m stoked to have my record as their first release, due out in April. We recorded it with Brandon Hocura at Polyphasic Studios. Dude is super easy to work with and I’m very happy with how the record turned out. It’s a total late-night rock record. Dark and sexy.

Are you releasing it on Pretty Pretty?

PP will be helping with the release of our debut EP, yes. Even though this will be PP’s first “rock” record, it still makes perfect sense. I gather the freaks who come out to our parties and follow our records will dig this one.

What's in store for Pretty Pretty Records this year?

We’ve got a couple releases set for spring. Sins — the slow dance dark lord of Canada. I sang on a track for his new record. It’s disgusting, real good stuff. Josh McIntyre and Talvi Faustman (Prince Innocence) are releasing their debut EP with us as well. It sounds like goths eating Menchie’s… real sexy stuff. Also Tarantula X's new EP is gonna drop soon. Dude’s a serious techno master, super excited to see this one blow up. His Crystal Castles remix is getting major attention. But yeah, other than that we are going continue doing our monthly dance parties and living like it’s 1984.

Are you going to tour this summer? Where are you planning to go?

There’s a string of dates we have planned for the States and Canada in April after our record drops. Keep your eyes peeled for the Gore.

Outside of the band, what are you listening to right now?

Been listening to a lot of jazz lately (I even auditioned for hosting a show on Jazz FM 91.1), sci-fi soundtracks, Steve Reich, Crime, Roy Orbison, Throbbing Gristle, complete Swans discography, my usual industrial/EBM addictions and also recently I’ve become obsessed with Montreal producer Femminielli. Dude’s a modern Giorgio Moroder.