Eleot grew up around dance and always been attracted to costumes. Having a BFA in theater, everything and anything is game for clothes; the wilder, the better. She’s drawn to a mix of highbrow and lowbrow fashion for that immediate contrast. Eleot subscribed to Harper’s Bizarre in high school, exposing herself to Yves Saint Laurent and all the classic high fashion designers.

Attending school in New York, she was exposed to a lot of experimental Avant-garde, especially with the legendary Wooster Group theater. The Wooster Group changed the theater landscape with it’s impactful productions and their ability to wear weird things that aren’t necessarily clothes. That mix of camp and highbrow fashion remains her sweet spot.

As for Chris, there’s definitely embarrassing photos of him at age 4 wearing suspenders with a trail of lace around his leg. But the first memory he has of making a conscious decision on what to wear came from hearing Nirvana. The grunge wave of the early 90’s had Chris wearing a ton of flannel and baggy jeans.

“I probably was one of the last people who stopped wearing that. I was in the late 90’s still trying to wear flannel. It was when I was a teacher in New York that I got really into wearing cardigans. I feel like I look great in cardigans,” Chris confesses.

Kurt Cobain quickly became the face of Generation X with his anti-establishment approach to fame. He was fearless when it came to dressing, often taking the stage in floral gowns or leopard jackets, emphasizing the fact that he was unconcerned with the limitations of gender. No doubt Kurt paved the way for a certain floppy-haired, gown-sporting musician touring today.

VOLK has made it known that they don’t really care much for genre, instead more focused on forging ahead with their own ideas and sounds, however people want to define that. Their influences are a list of classics from Tina Turner, David Bowie, Freddie Mercury, Heart, and even Joan Jett. All of these artists are fashion icons that made huge statements with their music. You can close your eyes and easy imagine the clothes for these artists. That skill is what VOLK calls “dressing the sound.”

“Lucius is super inspirational to us too. That’s a band that from the get-go dresses the sound and they totally don’t need to, but it just elevates and takes it beyond them. Costumes have the power to do that,” Eleot states.

VOLK’s 2021 debut album Cashville was very much a love affair with Nashville. Filled with Nudie suits, fringe, and sequins, their style was country-born but AC/DC inspired. The music video for “Welcome to Cashville” is a gritty example of that start. Eleot flickering through costumes with the barrage of neon lights around them while Chris electrifies the set. Images of Nashville legends flash by. Eleot’s voice and theatrical expressions dress the sound in true VOLK fashion.

Since that album, the duo is evolving into a new stage they call “cyber cow punk.” They define it as more of a rock and roll band that loves Waylon. They are maturing as musicians as well by trying to find different sounds and leaning into synth a lot more. Chris’ guitar rig is now aimed towards covering bass, lead guitar, and incorporating ways to make it sound like a synth in a cyber kinda way. It’s a wall of texture and frequencies that sets VOLK a part from so many other duos.

While they still keep their heritage intact with cowboy hats and boots, the progression is seen with their two newest videos, “Stand the Test” and “I Fed Animals.” Both videos lean more into a space vibe with suits, stars, and glowing lights. While they still hearken back to their Cashville days with sequins and cowboy hats, they push their sound further by introducing iconic new visuals.

“I Fed Animals” has strong White Stripes characteristics, but VOLK blends together a Kill Bill and Blade Runner aesthetic to make it their own. You can hear that evolution as well with the greater bulk of synth guitar. Eleot’s voice struts through the video with catchy screeches that mirror the squelch of the guitar. The strength in VOLK is that marriage of visuals and sound in all of their videos. It’s a cohesive, focused, and intended evolution, all at the same time.