Bodega make danceable post-punk music with a message. Following their acclaimed 2018 debut LP Endless Scroll and it’s 2019 follow up EP Shiny New Model, Bodega’s upcoming album Broken Equipment started as a book club. Each member of the NYC five-piece is well-read in their own right and joined with friends to study a wide range of philosophers. The readings inspired the band to pen songs that examine our modern condition, tackling ideas like targeted ads, religious iconography in technology, and media gentrification.
Not only do Bodega craft propulsive and heady music with sardonic lyrics and ripping instrumentals, but they also have lots of hidden talents. While some artists share a few versions of a song, like a demo or an acoustic track, Bodega released nine different recordings of their recent single “Statuette On The Console” — all in different languages. The band translated the song into Dutch, French, German, Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Ukrainian, exploring how language changes a listener’s emotional connection to a song.
Ahead of the release of Broken Equipment this Friday, Bodega vocalist Ben Hozie sat down with Uproxx to share a crazy tour memory, an album he knows every word to, and why French new wave director Jean-Luc Godard is an inspiration in the latest Indie Mixtape Q&A.
What are four words you would use to describe your music?
Yearning. Playful. Curious. Caffeinated.
It’s 2050 and the world hasn’t ended and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?
Often.
What’s your favorite city in the world to perform?
NYC. I like playing to a room full of close friends/peers. It’s unique when our shared history informs the performance.
Who’s the person who has most inspired your work, and why?
Godard. On pretty much all levels, contact with his cinema has shattered my conception of reality.
Where did you eat the best meal of your life?
Tokyo. Before I became vegan, I had some sushi that I still think about.
What album do you know every word to?
My music fandom has always involved memorization of lyrics so actually quite a few; The first record I memorized inside and out was Jane’s Addiction’s Nothing’s Shocking. I still adore that band.
What was the best concert you’ve ever attended?
A radio alt rock festival with my dad in South Carolina called Fallout. The headliners were Everclear and Fuel.
What is the best outfit for performing and why?
A shirt that helps you feel sexy. Definitely not a tee shirt or shorts.
Who’s your favorite person to follow on Twitter and/or Instagram?
I enjoy Richard Brody’s twitter (the film critique for the New Yorker).
What’s your most frequently played song in the van on tour?
“No Particular Place to Go” by Chuck Berry.
What’s the last thing you Googled?
“What, with my tongue in your tail! Nay, come again” from Shakespeare’s Taming Of The Shrew. I was reading the play and was shocked when I came across this anal cunnilingus pun and wanted to see some modern reactions/interpretations.
What album makes for the perfect gift?
Broken Equipment.
Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever crashed while on tour?
Me and Nikki once crashed at this girl’s house in Chico who was pretty out of it on an interesting narcotic combination. Once she sobered up she forgot who we were and why we were staying at her house.
What’s the story behind your first or favorite tattoo?
I have a small ‘V’ on my wrist inspired by Aristotle’s virtue ethics in Nicomachean Ethics. It’s a personal reminder to always live up to my own values.
What artists keep you from flipping the channel on the radio?
BODEGA. I’m humble enough to not always talk about myself but I have enough vanity to always tune in when others are talking about me.
What’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you?
My mother raised me while dealing with her own issues and mostly kept them hidden from me until a certain age. That was probably a Herculean effort.
What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?
Exercise and practice the guitar and piano. Also try to care less about what people who you don’t respect think about you.
What’s the last show you went to?
The Mystery Lights. A very good band fronted by a very good friend.
What movie can you not resist watching when it’s on TV?
I can resist any movie on TV if there are commercials involved.
Broken Equipment is out 3/11 via Whats Your Rupture?. Pre-order it here.