SONGS & SUDS. Express Laundry in Eau Claire was turned into a music video set for Minneapolis-based band, John Forrest & The Model Citizens and director Adam Dunn. (Submitted Photos)

Minneapolis-based band John Forrest & The Model Citizens celebrated the release of their new single, “Forgot What I Was on About,” on Sept. 22 with the release of its music video. The setting of the video? Eau Claire’s very own Laundry Express at 2655 Golf Road.

The video begins with frontman Forrest Ward shown cleaning the laundromat and kicking out The Model Citizens as they sit around and wait for their next gig. The action then jumps into the band playing the song throughout the laundromat, cutting to clips of the band using cleaning supplies as pseudo instruments, and then into shots of them playing their real instruments while laundry is being washed in the background. The goofy, lighthearted vibes of the video perfectly complement the song’s catchy melody.

So how’d a Minneapolis band end up filming a video in our neck of the woods, and in a laundromat, no less? Richard and Kathy Warner – owners of Laundry Express and Sol Sisters Tanning located next door – have a special connection to the band: drummer Mitch Warner is their son.

“The only payment they required from us was that Forrest writes a little jingle for them in case they ever want to put commercials out, so he's working on that now,” Warner said.

Mitch grew up in Independence, a small city in Trempealeau County, but has roots in the Chippewa Valley having spent the first four years of his life in Eau Claire.

The video only took one night to shoot. The main challenge came when people tried entering the laundromat, which wasn’t surprising since they had to close it down a little early. “It was hilarious because there was no second thought about what was going on,” Warner laughed. “People walked in even though there’s a camera and stuff and it was as if there was nothing going on.” (I’m sure stranger things have occurred at laundromats.)

“That was the first experience I've had filming a music video like that,” Forrest added. “It was pretty smooth. I thought it’d be more weird, but coming up with like a little subplot was the most fun part. We were just laughing the whole time – just trying not to laugh at each other while we were trying to film the intro.”

The video was directed by Adam Dunn, who has a long history of directing and editing a range of video projects in the Minneapolis area. “Forgot What I Was on About” is part of the band’s newest EP, The Good Times, which will be released everywhere on Oct. 6.

Watch the music video for “Forgot What I Was on About” on YouTube and keep up with the band on Facebook and Instagram.