Americana Highways is pleased to be the premiere host of Heather Styka’s new video, featuring the song “Chelsea Motor Inn” from her recent release North. The Danish band The Sentimentals (they’ve worked with Jonathan Byrd, Ana Egge, and Slaid Cleaves) backed her on this album. It was produced by Beehive Productions (Jeff Oehler, Susan Bibeau), Heather Styka, and The Sentimentals; and was recorded and mixed by Jeff Oehler The video for “Chelsea Motor Inn” was directed by Spence Warren and shot by Patrick Burke.
The song was written by Heather Styka, who delivers vocals and guitar on the track. The Sentimentals are M.C. Hansen on guitar, with Nikolaj Wolf on bass and Jacob Chano on drums. Styka delivers a snappy tongue-in-cheek lyrical story of a character who receives a postcard invitation to the Chelsea Motor Inn, and then is unknowlingly ghosted as she’s en route to the love nest. The video is set in a late 50’s sock hop style setting as we realize that the more things change the more they perhaps stay the same. The song is a refreshing relatable commentary on the contemporary dating process with the oddities that technology allows, but honors the fact that dating may have always been a game of hide and seek. The video provides a hilarious short film version of the experience.
I often jokingly refer to “Chelsea Motor Inn” as my anti-ghosting PSA. I spend a lot of time traveling, leaving, but I don’t feel good about disappearing without a trace. Even in this strange, brave new world of modern dating, we can afford to be clear with our intentions — to tell someone why we want to stay or why we have to go. And I love how the kitschy, fun, throw-back quality of the music video plays with the notion of relationships now versus forty years ago. — Heather Styka
And there are party dancers! Elaine Stribley is the featured dancer in the video and the other party dancers are Agnotti, Lilliana Chaidez, Eddie Chong, Connor, Amalia Mathewson, and Nicole Slaboch. Yes, watch and see: