April 11, 2022. Motel Radio, the indie-Americana band from New Orleans, have completely wiped their Instagram feed, letting the short, 15-second video they just posted stand alone. The words “Motel Radio” and “Wise”, along with a stylized symbol of a key, appear in white overlaid on top of a grainy feed of flowers blooming, butterflies’ wings fluttering, and hummingbirds hovering over blossoms. All the caption says is, “tomorrow.”

April 12, 2022. Another video is posted; we know now that the first 15-second video was just the intro to the 3 minute and 42 second music video for their new song, “Wise”. The grainy nature feed transitions into a dream-like sequence of a carnival, waiting for and riding a train, the band performing onstage out of focus amidst bright lights, and shots of frontmen Ian Wellman and Winston Triolo peering out from a fish-eye lens, trapped in the small bubble-like frame, as well as sequences of the pair jamming together in golden-leafed woods. 

The video is drenched in nostalgia, evoking memories of childhood with the shots of riding the ferris wheel, frolicking in the woods, and running across soccer fields, arms outstretched like an airplane. It also captures the uncertainty of navigating adulthood, with flashes of Wellman and Triolo hanging out in the grand terminal of a train station and trains leaving the two of them behind on the platform. (Trains, planes, and cars are easy metaphors for changing directions or taking a new path.) Amidst this nostalgia and uncertainty, the blossoming of flowers and falling of leaves grounds the video in the absolute inevitability of nature; the assuredness of the cyclical nature of the seasons as time surely and steadily moves forward. By maintaining a hazy aesthetic interspersed with every-day reality, the video captures the transitory nature of life as we make endless choices on our way through life. 

The video perfectly matches its song. “Wise” marks a departure from Motel Radio’s comfort zone as they expand into new territory with their sound. Their music is a blend of surf rock, indie rock, and folk music, with harmonies and percussion elements that honor Americana traditions. Melodic guitar riffs over rhythmic chord changes accentuate the clear, honeyed vocals, and the percussion often involves shaker instruments, adding to their beachy and bright tone. On their first two albums, Days & Nights and Desert Surf Films, their sound was simple, oriented towards a more folksy, indie singer-songwriter vibe. In their 2019 album, Siesta Del Sol, the band incorporated synthesizers and more creative applications of delay and reverb, resulting in a more atmospheric, neo-psychedelic overall sound and crossing over into the indie rock and surf rock genres. With “Wise”, they make another foray into utilizing elements from other genres to evolve their style, all while staying true to their core. 

In “Wise”, Motel Radio leans heavily into the neo-psychedelic elements of Siesta Del Sol, utilizing lots of reverb, the chorus effect, and slight delay on the guitars. There’s also more production on the vocals — both the main vocal line and the harmonies sound doubled, bringing about a vocal chorus effect that aligns nicely with the guitars (with some reverb and slight distortion on the main vocal line as well). The two guitars play off one another, trading licks back and forth and interweaving with the vocal melody during the verse. During the chorus, the harmonies pile onto the main melody, and the guitars fill the pauses in the vocals with simple, fluid riffs. The percussion consists of upbeat digital drum loops, funky syncopation on the hi-hat, as well as the shaker instrument sound they frequently use in their music. For me, the real star of this song is the bass, played by Andrew Pancamo. During most of the song, it jumps around the neck of the base, sliding on a note in the middle of the sequence to create a groovy feel that emphasizes the funkiness of the drums. However, in the chorus, the bass line imitates the vocal melody, quickly plucked riffs aligning with vocal runs. All of these elements add up to a rich sonic texture, very much reminiscent of the Dream-pop genre. The landscape of the sound is more complex than what we’ve seen before from Motel Radio. This doesn’t make the song intense or unapproachable, far from it. It’s laid-back, easy listening, the kind of song you play while reading on the beach or driving back from a hike as the sun sets. 

On the subject matter and lyrical themes of the song, Triolo says, 

“‘Wise’ is a song about growing up, and realizing what is important. I wrote it soon after moving in with my girlfriend back in late 2019. This was a time in my life where I had a lot of opportunities to go out and party with friends, but I opted to stay home and hang with my girl. I could have kept doing all of the same stuff as before, but I felt myself growing out of that."

The first verse tells us that he’s been waking up early while his friends have been sleeping in after partying on the weekends. (“He” in this case refers to the narrator of the song, not necessarily Triolo. I think it’s important to distinguish between the songwriter and the narrator of the song; the two are not always the same.) In the second verse, our narrator responds indifferently to accusations of being “love drunk.” He thinks that the fear of being visibly in love is childish, saying, “Baby we’re not teenage / Why we hangin’ on to old ways?” The third verse tells us why our narrator is trying to settle down and “get wise.” In the end, it’s about attaining happiness, finding “peace of mind.” The chorus hammers this point home, saying, “I only get one life / well then how can I live it?” 

It’s a poignant message, especially when contrasted with today’s prevalent noncommittal, hook-up oriented dating culture. The gratification you feel when you get a match on a dating app, the rush when you successfully pick up a stranger from a bar or a party, the excitement of juggling different potential romantic interests — it all pales in comparison to the certainty of love that comes with prioritizing your relationships. Being in a steady, stable relationship provides the sense of peace that Triolo is talking about. In a crazy, ever-changing, volatile world, your person (or persons) is a constant in your life. When you love someone, you’re happy just in their company. 

This also isn’t necessarily limited to romantic relationships, either. I’ve found that as I’ve gotten older, I value the wholesome nights spent with friends more than I do the ones where we all go out to party and drink somewhere in the city. Those nights are a blast, don’t get me wrong, but they don’t really strengthen, deepen, or affirm my friendships. Those nights, they’re not where the fulfilling conversations or the fits of laughter that leave your stomach hurting happen. They’re not where emotional support and encouragement is given. Growing up, in my experience, has taught me that the best friendships are the ones where you don’t need the drinks, the music, the dancing, the excitement of going out to party in order to have a great time. Realizing this, and reprioritizing what’s important to me, helps me ‘live my best life’, as cliche as it is. 

Motel Radio really captures critical parts of growing up in this song, and how we can try to live our one life the best we can. I can’t wait to see what other subjects they cover in the album that’s sure to follow soon — as well as to hear how they explore this most recent evolution of their sound. I’m also so curious as to where they will go from here after this album; will they explore yet more genres, or will they hone in on what they have? It’s a testament to this band that I am excited for their experimentation in their sound rather than dreading it; there have been many bands that abandoned their original sound only to lose my interest. Even as they play with new elements and genres, Motel Radio keeps true to the foundational aspects of their music: melodic, honest, and effervescent. It’s for this reason that Motel Radio remains one of my favorite indie artists. Give their new single “Wise” a listen, and keep an eye out for whenever the upcoming album drops!