Video Release: DRAMA! Says Keep Warm, Wear Your "MFJ"

DRAMA!, an electronic rock group with a flair for the avant-garde, premiered the video for their song “MFJ” last night at Philly’s Tralfamadore. The song will be featured on their debut EP, Killer Villain, dropping later this spring.

Directed by Adam Hribar and starring Shannon Groff, the band aimed for a concept with something of a shock factor. The pitching session with Hribar landed the team with ideas that crossed nearly every cinematic genre, but what they ultimately settled on was something that leaned heavily into a chic-macabre aesthetic.

Hribar follows Groff around notable sets like Philly Aids Thrift and David Guinn and Percy Street Project murals, adding a local flair to the video’s already completely recognizable landscape.

The heavy, pulsating bass line kicks off the song as Groff struts into the thrift store with one goal in mind: copping the coolest “mother fucking jacket” she can find. Her theatrical movements, purposefully slowed-down shots, and a tasteful use of handheld dynamic angles set a sort of unhinged tone for the video.

She purchases the jacket in a flurry of dollar bills, and then is immediately accosted by a gang. The band settled on the murder and cult concepts because it’s certainly exciting and different from other local releases. The end goal was to create “something that people could talk about without providing any context.” The dark elements of the video, which I won’t reveal, are direct parallels to the dark and groovy tones of the DRAMA!’s unique sound.

As for the takeaway of the video, it’s ultimately up to the viewer to decide what they want to pull from “MFJ.” The band says the vanity of the jacket, the theatricality of Groff’s character, and the intensity of the concept add just the level of shock that they were going for. It’s pulled off well without feeling kitschy, as I’ve seen with some other attempted horror-adjacent music videos.

Check out “MFJ” below before they release Killer Villain later this spring.