Pink Elefants is the project of long-time friends Finch (Flores) and Illeven (Joshua Matthew). The two previously were in the rock/metal band Megosh. They decided to create Pink Elefants as an outlet to explore other genres and lyric writing. Pink Elefants defy genre boundaries and have a wide variety of influences. The Maryland-based band’s music is hard to define and easy to get sucked into. The band name was inspired by the “Pink Elephants on Parade” sequence in Disney’s Dumbo (1941). Like the transformation of the elephants in that scene, the band is dedicated to be ever-evolving with their sound and the world around them.
The band recently released their single “Sinderella” along with an accompanying music video. In discussing the concept of the music video the duo wrote “at the beginning of the video when we sit down and begin to watch the performance, the dancer in front of us seems grotesque. We begin to judge her, harshly. As that happens, our true selves begin to surface, while our actress transforms and heals. The monsters at the end almost feel helpless as they spew their disgust, but the dancer smiles…she has transcended and become more of herself, no longer affected by the harsh opinions of man.”
Watch the video for “Sinderella” below
When I first started watching the video I thought it was going to mainly be a dancer giving a performance while judges poked fun from afar. Like the band described, the story within the video aligns really well with the lyrics. The lyrics “Please don’t give up Sinderella. Life should be so much better than this, you’re starving for more than a simple kiss from your Prince Charming” sum up the song pretty well. Sinderella is having a hard time, and the singer is obviously concerned. In trying to comfort her, it seems that she just continues to spiral. As I was listening to the song I felt lyrically they had a pop/punk vibe.
Pink Elefants has a unique sound with lyrics that many can relate to. There is something nostalgic about their music that reminds me of experimental sounds of the later 00’s that bridged emo/punk with pop and electronic sounds. I love the pairing of the emotion and fun within the song. The music video really shows the seriousness through the dancer. The judges ended up becoming exactly what they were making fun of. Sinderella finally was herself again, not caring what the rest of the “ugly” world had to say. I’m definitely looking forward to what Pink Elefants come out with next.
