Train - Hey, Soul Sister

What this video is

Released in late 2009 as Train's comeback single from Save Me, San Francisco, 'Hey, Soul Sister' arrived during a moment of mainstream appetite for acoustic warmth and ukulele-driven pop optimism — a sonic and visual counterweight to post-2008 financial crisis cultural anxiety. The Echo Park, Los Angeles setting grounds the video in a then-emergent hip urban neighborhood, coding the band as approachable and…

Why it matters

Represents the commercial apex of the late-2000s ukulele-pop crossover — a strand connecting Train to contemporaries like Jason Mraz and Ingrid Michaelson. The video's rapid-cut street realism became a template for accessible, location-driven pop visuals that prioritized warmth and narrative…

The director

Matt Stawski is a Grammy-nominated director and filmmaker from Warren, Michigan. He launched his career by delivering a self-made short film to a Pittsburgh punk label, which led to his first professional music video. He has directed videos for Train, Cee Lo…