New Orleans’ beachy indie-Americana band Motel Radio have released a euphoric new video for their track, “Ego Death”. Complemented by the track’s bright vocals and upbeat guitar riffs, the VHS style music video serves as a visual diary of the band’s carefree moments traveling the open road, finding catharsis and joy in life with friends along the way.
Frontman Ian Wellman goes behind the song’s motivation in depth, “A lot of this song is about psychedelic experiences I’ve been through. There’s this inevitable sense of greater belonging that floods your mind when your barriers get torn down. It’s like for a short span of time, life makes total sense. Everything is crystal clear. The word I always take away from it ‘balance’, which I think is the key to a fulfilled life in many ways. But it’s so much easier said than done.”
Harmony is king for dual frontman outfit Motel Radio, as they build silky, melodic guitar waves for their stacked vocals to surf across. Breezy yet intentional, pop-minded yet psychedelic; their new album title was inspired by a jukebox song the band heard at a bar in Marfa. Siesta Del Sol was written and recorded with producer and engineer Eric Heigle at Wix Mix Productions and the band’s home studio in New Orleans. In support of the dynamic 10 song LP, the band will kick off a national tour with a NOLA hometown release show on June 21 followed by a 5-week summer tour with Summer Salt. Full list of tour dates below and here.
Formed in 2014, the band has approached songwriting with a reverence for past influences coupled with an enthusiasm for contemporary artists. Since their last EP release Desert Surf Films in 2016, the band has played festivals across the U.S. including New Orleans Jazz Fest, Firefly Festival, Voodoo, and SXSW and opened for artists such as Kurt Vile, Moon Taxi, Drive By Truckers, Dylan LeBlanc and more.
Motel Radio
* – w/ Summer Salt & Dante Eliphante
7/13: Dallas, TX @ Trees*
7/14: Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall*
7/16: Orlando, FL @ The Abbey*
7/17: Tampa, FL @ The Orpheum*
7/18: Atlanta, GA @ Hell at The Masquerade*
7/19: Durham, NC @ Motorco Music Hall*
7/20: Richmond, VA @ The Broadberry*
7/21: Washington DC @ U Street Music Hall*
7/23: Philadelphia, PA @ The Foundry at The Fillmore*
7/24: Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw*
7/25: Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair*
7/26: Hartford, CT @ Webster Underground*
7/27: Pittsburgh, PA @ Spirit Hall*
7/28: Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom*
7/29: Detroit, MI @ The Shelter at Saint Andrews Hall*
7/30: Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge*
8/1: St Paul, MN @ Amsterdam Bar & Hall*
8/3: St Louis, MO @ Duck Room at Blueberry Hill*
8/4: Lawrence, KS @ The Bottleneck*
8/6: Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater*
8/7: Salt Lake, UT @ In the Venue*
8/9: Vancouver, BC @ Fox Cabaret*
8/10: Seattle, WA @ Neumos*
8/11: Portland, OR @ Aladdin Theater*
8/13: San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall*
8/15: Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda Theatre*
8/16: San Diego, CA @ House of Blues*
8/17: Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom*
8/18: El Paso, TX @ Lowbrow Palace*
9/22: Gulfport, MS @ Chillin’ on the Gulf Coast Music Festival