Producer and songwriter Ethan P. Flynn has made a notable mark in his career thus far. With his songwriting credits on tracks by FKA Twigs and David Byrne, along with his vocals on Vegyn’s upcoming album ‘The Road to Hell is Paved With Good Intentions’, he is already a recognized figure in London’s music scene.
Given this background, one might expect Flynn to take the lead in the new duo Silver Gore; however, it is instead his long-time collaborator and partner, Ava Gore, who takes center stage. With a powerful and impressive vocal range, Gore's voice is a defining element of their debut EP, ‘Dogs in Heaven’. Despite having only six tracks to their name, the duo has quickly garnered attention, performing at several festivals this summer even before the EP was announced.
Like much of the music emerging from London’s underground scene, Silver Gore’s sound cannot be easily classified into a specific genre. They blend Flynn’s electronic background with clear influences from folk-rock, indie-pop, and shoegaze, creating a wide sonic space that intertwines themes of struggle and unrestrained joy.
Silver Gore has a solid understanding of their identity, which is reflected in their visuals that feature a shadowy Gore and Flynn accompanied by a large, yeti-like creature. This filmic element could come across as excessive, yet it is executed with sincerity that makes it appealing rather than cheesy.
Clash writer Sasha Mills spoke with Silver Gore about their new project, their first meeting in a London Wetherspoons, duality, and puppetry.
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Your debut EP is out, but I’m curious about what it’s like to perform as a new duo with limited music available.
Ethan: It's just part of establishing a live presence. You have to create the atmosphere and genuinely convince people that it's worth their time.
Ava: I think the way we’re presenting [the tracks] live makes them a bit different. They’re the live versions of the EP, not just the recorded ones, and I believe people are connecting with the music, which is all we can ask for.
[To Ethan] You don’t typically focus on live performances since you’re primarily a producer and songwriter…
Ethan: I've performed a lot, but it's not what I usually think about.
Ava: Yes, there are bands that thrive on live performance, but we are more invested in the studio and the recording process.
Ethan: I enjoy live music and attend many shows, but it's not my strongest suit.
Ava: With Island [Records], we have the chance to explore things we otherwise couldn’t, making the live show exactly how we envision it. The contrast between studio recording and live performances demands different skills. It's odd that there's an expectation to transition seamlessly between the two, just as one wouldn’t expect a filmmaker to take their film on the road as a musical.
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As a consumer, it’s easy to forget that not everyone wants to engage in every part of the creative process. Some artists love producing, others enjoy performing, and some may perform without writing any of their material. There’s a diversity of skills involved. Ava, you were formerly Ethan’s drummer?
Ava: Yes, in a live band, during the time Ethan was organizing a live show.
How did you first meet?
Ava: We met at a pub—a Wetherspoons in Stoke Newington, Church Street. We became really good friends. I was a huge fan of Ethan P. Flynn, he was my most-listened-to artist on Spotify Wrapped. He didn’t know that… He just said, ‘I’m looking for a drummer, Ava, you play drums, right?’
Just imagine your favorite artist asking you to drum for them! He had no idea I was such a big fan, so it was surreal when he approached me. We began playing together and eventually started writing songs about a year later.
Ethan: There was quite a gap before we began Silver Gore.
Ava, while you were drumming, you also have classical training. Ethan, you’re known for your production skills, but you also provide vocals. Do you have defined roles in the studio? Ava, you are the main vocalist for this project, yet I noticed Ethan's vocals appear later in the arrangement. What influenced that choice?
Ethan: In the studio, everything on the EP came together during our free time. At that stage, we weren’t a full band, so the focus was just on making and finishing tracks quickly. Decisions were collaborative; Ava would write her vocals, but sometimes I'd bring in instrumentals or we’d create them together simultaneously.
The songs were developed individually, and during the EP's sequencing, my vocal ended up being introduced later. I wanted it to serve as an introduction to the project, with Ava as the lead vocalist, so I chose to limit my contributions.
Ava: We’ve nearly completed our album, and Ethan will be singing more
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