Pretty Girls Make Graves

This article is about the American band. For the song by The Smiths, see The Smiths (album).

Pretty Girls Make Graves is a post-punk band formed in Seattle in 2001, named after The Smiths' song of the same name (which itself was named after a quote from Jack Kerouac's The Dharma Bums).^[2] Andrea Zollo and Derek Fudesco had played together previously in The Hookers, as well as The Death Wish Kids and Area 51 along with Dann Gallucci, with whom Derek had formed Murder City Devils. Not long before the Murder City Devils disbanded, Derek and Andrea formed Pretty Girls Make Graves along with Jay, Nick and Nathan. They played the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2004. The band announced its split on January 29, 2007,^[3] with their final two shows taking place in Seattle that June.

Pretty Girls Make Graves
Live in 2005
Background information
Origin	Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Genres	Post-punk, indie rock, emo^[1]
Years active	2001–2007, 2023–present
Labels	Lookout, Matador
Members	Andrea Zollo Derek Fudesco Leona Marrs J. Clark Nick Dewitt
Past members	Nathan Thelen

History

The band released their first EP on Dim Mak and Sound Virus Records before releasing their debut album Good Health on Lookout Records in April 2002. The band would later sign to Matador Records where they released The New Romance, and then later Elan Vital. Guitarist Nathan Thelen left Pretty Girls Make Graves in March 2004 to form Moonrats and Leona Marrs (formerly of HintHint) joined as a multi-instrumentalist. On January 29, 2007, the band announced that Nick had left the band and their May 2007 tour would be their last.

Post-breakup projects

Clark formed Jaguar Love with former Blood Brothers members Johnny Whitney and Cody Votolato. They signed with Matador Records,^[4] the former label home of Pretty Girls Make Graves. On February 18, 2009, it was announced Jay was no longer playing in the line up of Jaguar Love, being replaced with a drum machine on that tour.

Dewitt continued working on his solo electronic project Dutch Dub. He also played with Amy Blaschke in Night Canopy. Fudesco, meanwhile, formed The Cave Singers, with Pete Quirk of Hint Hint and Marty Lund of Cobra High.

Soon after leaving Pretty Girls Make Graves, Thelen started Moonrats in Seattle together with keyboard player Aska Matsumiya and drummer Jason Echeverria. They moved to Los Angeles and released an EP on their own. They put out a full-length and a 7" on LA Records in 2008. Thelen then formed Drug Cabin, with Marcus Congleton of Ambulance Ltd, releasing two albums in early 2015 on 401K Music Inc.

Zollo played drums with Triumph of Lethargy Skinned Alive to Death, and also sang in Deep Creep with Fudesco. She later left the music industry, and began work as a hairstylist.^[5]

Reunion

In November 2023, the band were announced on the line-up for the 2024 iteration of the When We Were Young festival. There, the band will perform The New Romance in its entirety.^[6] In February 2024, the band announced a headlining show to take place at The Showbox in Seattle that September.^[7]

Members

 

The band in 2006

Current members

• Andrea Zollo – lead vocals (2001–2007, 2023–present)
• Derek Fudesco – bass, backing vocals (2001–2007, 2023–present)
• J. Clark – guitar, keyboards, samples, backing vocals (2001–2007, 2023–present)
• Nick Dewitt – drums, samples, keyboards, trumpet, backing vocals (2001–2007, 2023–present)
• Leona Marrs – keyboards, accordion, backing vocals (2004–2007, 2023–present)

Former members

• Nathan Thelen – guitar, backing vocals (2001–2004)

Discography

Studio albums

• Good Health (2002, Lookout)
• The New Romance (2003, Matador)
• Élan Vital (2006, Matador)

Singles and EPs

• Pretty Girls Make Graves EP (2001, Dim Mak)
• "More Sweet Soul" b/w "If You Hate Your Friends, You're Not Alone" (2001, Sub Pop)
• "Sad Girls Por Vida" b/w "The Getaway" (2002, Sound Virus)
• "By The Throat" b/w "Ghosts In The Radio" & "More Sweet Soul" (2002, Hand Held Heart)
• "Speakers Push the Air" b/w "Bring It On Golden Pond" & "If You Hate Your Friends, You're Not Alone" (2002, Dim Mak)
• "This Is Our Emergency" (2002, Matador)
• "All Medicated Geniuses" b/w "C-30 C-60 C-90 GO!" & "Magic Lights" (2003, Matador)
• "Pyrite Pedestal" b/w "The Lament of St. Bernadette" (2006, Matador)
• Live Session EP (2006, Matador)

Videography

• "Speakers Push the Air" (2002)
• "This Is Our Emergency" (2003)
• "All Medicated Geniuses" (2003)
• "The Nocturnal House" (2006)

References

1. "Pretty Girls Make Graves: Élan Vital Album Review". Pitchfork. November 4, 2006.
2. "Pretty Girls Make Graves Interview". Suicide Girls. from the original on February 5, 2024. Retrieved August 1, 2004.
3. Pretty Girls Make Graves Split. February 13, 2007, at the Wayback Machine Posted January 29, 2007.
4. Pitchfork: Jaguar Love (ex-PGMG, Blood Brothers) Sign to Matador February 1, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
5. "Andrea Zollo Hair Stylist". Facebook.com. Meta. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
6. Hatfield, Amanda (November 13, 2023). "Pretty Girls Make Graves announce first show in 17 years". Brookyln Vegan. from the original on January 15, 2024. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
7. Breihan, Tom. "Pretty Girls Make Graves Announce First Concert In 17 Years". Stereogum. Stereogum Media. Retrieved February 13, 2024.

External links

• PGMG on Matador Records
• interview at www.deathrockstar.info