(Photo Credit: Mert Gafuroglu)
We had an opportunity to talk with dance/punk fusion band BODEGA for our Artist Spotlight! Hailing from New York City, this band is high energy and packs a wallop with their sound. With vocal harmonies found in tradiotional punk music and indie beats, BODEGA has such a fun sound. You have got to check them out and read below what they had to say, as well as their upcoming tour dates!
1. How did you come to pursue music and how long have you been at it?
"I started playing in bands in middle school, first in a terrible cover band that played Ramones and nu metal songs. Rock and roll has been an obsession since then. I've been in lots of bands (in various roles) throughout my life but none of them have been as exciting to be in as BODEGA."
2. Could you walk us through your process of writing music?
"It's different every time but I'm pretty old school, usually I start with pen, paper, and an acoustic guitar and work out the meter and the melody. Then I'll bring that to the band and we'll work to sculpt it into something more musical and interesting ----> Madison plays a large role as the band's arranger. Usually we'll demo our initial ideas and then refine them via chipping away at whatever is too cliche or un-emotive about the playing. Some of our new material has happened through group jams but I've found in the past the most powerful songs usually start with one person's clear song sketch."
3. What artists have inspired you in your career?
"Many groups have inspired us, some you might suspect from listening to our record; Wire, the Minutemen, Neil Young, The Fall, Pavement, Velvet Underground but also many local NYC bands have had a big effect (Jaun Wauters and the Beets, The Babies, Parquet Courts, Milk Dick, Parlor Walls, Pill, Video Daughters, My Teenage Stride, and Shilpa Ray. For overall artistic philosophy I always think of the filmmaker Jean Luc Godard. There is no 20th century artist with more integrity."
4. Do you have any favorite music gear (guitars, amps, effects pedals, keyboards, etc.) that you love to use? If so, what’s the story on them?
I love my Vox AC15 amplifier for its jangly clean tones. As of now, BODEGA is a fairly FX-free band ---> we favor simplicity and rhythmic tightness.
5. Can you describe the vibe at your live shows? Also, what do you enjoy most about a venue when you do a show?
"Good mood and lighting is everything. A good venue should have enough space for dancing and/or relaxed contemplation. Every show and every room is different. We thrive on spontaneity and try to never perform a song the same way twice. We often favor extended repetitive jams, when done right they can really focus energy into the 'nowness' of the moment. I love the bliss the brain can feel when locked into a droning repetitive musical idea. They can be either calmly euphoric or really wild and out of control. Songs should either be too long or too short."
6. What is one thing that you want the public to know about your music?
"We'd like encourage everybody to listen with their eyes and see with their ears."
7. Do you have any upcoming projects you would like fans to know about?
"For those in America, we are touring the south east and west coast this August. Please see our blog for tour dates: http://bodeganyc.tumblr.com/performance"
Upcoming Shows:
8.8.18 w/ Shark Toys @ MOROCCAN LOUNGE, LA, CA.
8.10.18 w/ Preening, Shark Toys @ HEMLOCK TAVERN, San Francisco, CA.
8.11.18 w/ Pervert, Black Magnet @ DUFFY’s, Chico, CA.
8.12.18 w/ Shark Toys @ BUNK BAR, Portland, OR.
8.13.18 w/ Shark Toys @ BARBOZA, Seattle, WA.
8.14.18 @ Fox Cabaret, Vancouver, BC.
8.23.18 POP GUN 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY w/ Charly Bliss, TOMI, Public Practice, THICK, Yaasss, Ela Minus, and Heathered Pearls @ ELSEWHERE, BK, NYC.
9.27.18 @ POP MONTREAL, Montreal, QC.
10.5.18 w/ Shame @ Music Hall of Williamsburg, BK, NYC.
FMI on BODEGA, visit http://bodeganyc.tumblr.com/. Also for all things alt, keep it tuned to Alt Revue.