BODEGA

“I never thought of us as a post-punk band,” stresses Ben Hozie, singer and guitarist in the NYC-based band BODEGA. “I just thought of us as a conceptual rock band. At the end of the day, it’s about our songwriting.”

This might come as a surprise to those who’ve been following the band over the last several years. BODEGA’s previous albums — 2018’s Endless Scroll, 2022’s Broken Equipment, and 2024’s Our Brand Could Be Your Life — drew well-earned comparisons to post-punk icons like Talking Heads, the B-52s, Devo, and Sonic Youth. But on their new single “Pick Up the Check,” BODEGA (which also includes singer and percussionist Nikki Belfiglio, bassist Adam See, guitarist Dan Ryan, and drummer Adam Shumski) pursue a lusher, more expansive sonic palate, drawing inspiration from the alt rock arena-isms of Jane’s Addiction and the Stone Roses.

“The lyrics are imagining you’re at a restaurant with somebody, either on a romantic date or some kind of business date with a music industry person,” Hozie says, “and you have to learn how to say no, stick up for yourself, and pick up the check. Even if you can’t afford it, put it on credit and get out of there!” Still, Hozie emphasizes that “I always think of our songwriting as sort of Socratic. We’re asking questions.”