Phedre Get Weird on Film: 'We Didn't Want to Make Boring Videos'

Some might consider Toronto's Phedre a weird band, what with the elaborate costumes and even stranger music videos, but to the experimental trio their brand of electro-pop comes naturally.

"What isn't weird?" singer April Aliermo tells Spinner. "Chicken omelettes? Sex? Blue cheese? Puberty?"

In the band's latest video for "Aphrodite," Phedre furthers their unique style by incorporating choreographed dancers draped in yarn, a basement dance party and, naturally, a game of mah-jong with an elderly woman. Singer Daniel Lee says he has fun making music videos like this, even crediting the concept of this particular project to his niece Anabel, describing her as "a prodigal filmmaker."

"Usually for family holidays, we get together and make music videos because, why not?" says Lee. Aliermo adds, "They're so fun to make, especially with our ADD, music videos are the perfect way for us to make an artistic assault; a little glimpse into another world. The amazing thing is that there are infinite worlds."

Lee claims that "Aphrodite" was originally shot in 2004, which would have meant that the band was formed eight years ago, but this can't be proven. As Lee told Spinner in a previous interview, Phedre is very much an "imaginative project combining spectacle, found sound, anything-goes and pop music," so it wouldn't be a surprise if this outlandish "fact" is just part of the imagination and spectacle that is the band.

As sufferers of ADD, Lee and bandmates Aliermo and Airick Woodhead clearly find solace in constantly making music (combined, the members of Phedre have also occupied various other bands including Hooded Fang, Doldrums, Tonka & Puma, Hut and Spiral Beach) and music videos.

"Sometimes we find boring videos quite boring and we were feeling like maybe we didn't want to make boring videos right now," says Lee. "Not-boring videos might be less boring for people to watching and listen to our music, too. So they don't have to keep their eyes closed."

Phedre, who haven't been on the road since 2010, are really excited to go back on tour this fall. On top of that, they have plenty of new material they've been working on.

"We have hundreds of songs that we will put together into a lightshow compilation," explains Lee. "We're also trying to get our music into lucid dream soundtracks."

Again, fact or imagination? Who knows? That's the magic (and weirdness) of Phedre.