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Apr 12, 2024 By Caleb Campbell Photography by Violette Larson and Brendan Michie

Hot Moms Club is the indie folk project of singer/songwriter Eliza Vera. Vera first debuted under the moniker with a self-titled EP in 2022, and could also be heard that year providing vocal and songwriting contributions to Bartees Strange’s sophomore record, Farm to Table. Earlier this year, Vera returned with a second EP, Welcome to the Club, and she is reportedly currently in the studio working on another set of new songs. In the meantime though, she’s back with a video for one of her latest EP’s highlights, “Trader Joe’s,” premiering with Under the Radar.

“Trader Joe’s” is a dose of breezy escapism, both in its winding guitar lines and in its charming video. The track finds Vera singing above a sun-kissed haze of samba rhythms and placid melodies, though the track also introduces moments of tension as it winds onward. The lyrics similarly act as a winking tribute to the titular grocery chain while working in hints of disquiet beneath Vera’s easygoing demeanor: “When I think about it too much / I could probably cry for an hour or two / But instead I’ll go to my favorite Trader Joe’s / I’ve heard they’ve got some new things. / I’m trying, I’m trying.” Meanwhile, the accompanying video leans into the track’s hazy, sun-lit side, playing out like a home movie shot during a warm summer birthday party.

Vera says of the track, “My friends, Violette Larsen and Brendan Michie, of The Sleepy Pearls, came over early one morning and we filmed this fun little video on Super 8 in my backyard and at Leucadia Donuts in North County San Diego. We pretty much laughed the entire time. It felt so good to create and just be weird together.

My intention with this music video is to show listeners more of my personality. It’s easy to fall into the trap of putting up a front to look cool when it comes to the visual aspect of a project and I wanted to do the opposite with this. I literally woke up, put on my pink suit and slippers, and filmed this with Violette and Brendan while sipping our morning coffee.

My sweet boyfriend, Nathan Menard, his music moniker being THREE, edited this with me and we too were sipping our coffee and enjoying the process. Creating alongside people that I love is what Hot Moms Club is all about for me.”

Check out the song and video below, out everywhere now.