“Come and check in at the Hotel Texas/Fill that vacancy/I’m from out of town/But I’ll show you around…”

Last week, Melbourne/Naarm alt-country act The Smith & Western Jury released ‘Hotel Texas‘, the title-track single from their forthcoming new album, set for release on June 14. Today I’m very pleased to premiere the video for the single, shot in Fort Worth, Texas.

Filmed by Joshua Rainwater & directed by the band’s Simon Torcasio (songwriter/guitarist), the cinematic clip is steeped in metropolitan Americana, the grand and antiquated city streets providing the perfect backdrop as singer, songwriter and acoustic guitarist Samantha Lombardi wanders the sun-baked sidewalks.

As Lombardi explains about the video shoot, “We’d been to the Hotel Texas before, a few years ago (well..stood out the front anyway), on a previous trip to the U.S. We were walking around taking photos, and thought the neon sign and old run-down building was really cool.“

“We didn’t think about it again until I was writing this song, and I thought it fit into the whole idea and concept of the song. Before we went on our last trip, we knew we wanted to revisit and shoot the film clip on the streets of Fort Worth & have that neon sign in it somehow.“

“I researched videographers and found Josh, we met on the day in the parking lot of Billy Bob’s (the “world’s largest honky tonk bar”). To be honest – going into it, we had no idea what the day would bring. Meeting a random guy in a parking lot in Texas, that we found on the internet probably doesn’t sound great! Haha. But Josh was awesome.“

What they say about Texas heat is REAL,” recalls Lombardi. “That day was so hot, we were all melting in the sun, and Josh was just an absolute trooper and so fun to work with. The meds that I am on [for a rare autoimmune disorder known as Behçet’s disease – which exacerbates her crippling issues with vestibular migraines] make you super sensitive to the sun, so I really paid for it afterwards! I had blisters all over my hands, but it was worth it!”

The song itself finds the perfect balance between contemporary Americana and traditional country with its shuffling rhythm section and warm and gentle guitar twang. Lombardi’s vocal is the showstopper though. Rich and resonant, it possesses just the right amount of sweetness and grit to pull on the heartstrings with real authenticity.

“Whether it’s being labelled ‘too country,’ ‘too heavy,’ or criticised for not fitting a certain mould, there’s always someone with an opinion,” says Lombardi. “Even down to the clothes you wear, someone will always have something to say. While every artist aims for uniqueness, at the end of the day, we’re all influenced by others, our surroundings, and our past. Some just get too caught up in the game and all the negativity.“

“Simon and I were discussing it one day, and he suggested, “You should write a song called ‘Bolo Ties & Bullshit’.” So, I did. We later renamed it “Hotel Texas,” but we kept those lyrics in the song.“