Videos

Tonedeff Shares Animated Video for the Deeply Personal “Five Sisters”

blame it on Shake August 15, 2018

When it comes to work thats supremely personal and important to one’s self, the amount time it takes to complete can be substantial. Just ask Tonedeff, who, after three years or effort, has finally released a video for the deeply biographical “Five Sisters.”

Taken from his latest album, Polymer, the visual is described as “an animated emotional journey through a family united under a strong matriarchy via the guise of an RPG.”

Instead of offering my breakdown, I’ll let Tone explain…

“This song is extremely personal to me, so it needed a video that could match its heart,” Tone says. “The entire metaphor works perfectly for this song – a band of strong women in a strange land utilizing the different strengths of their core (mom) to survive. It really drives home the feeling of what it’s like to be second generation Americans to immigrant parents. More to the point, my sisters raised me as much, if not more, than my parents did. They worked so much that I didn’t get to practice their native tongue much (hence songs like “Spanish Song”). Still, I absorbed all of their viewpoints, strengths and weakness – all passed down through our mother.”

“Contrary to the title, ‘Five Sisters’ is actually an ode to our mother,” he continued. “A composite portrait of the strongest and most versatile woman I’ve ever known. If you’d like to learn more about her influence on our lives, watch my documentary. I hope all the women who see this (especially my women of color) will identify with this work. It was important to me that the depictions were of strong Latinas, because representation is ultra important to me these days.”

Animated by Pandamusk, the “Five Sisters” visual can be seen below. Press play.