BODEGA have shared ‘Pick Up The Check’, a sharp-tongued anthem for leaving bad relationships behind

New York quintet BODEGA have shared a fresh cut titled 'Pick Up The Check', issued through Chrysalis Records and offering an early glimpse of material due in 2026.

Self-directed by the band's guitarist and vocalist Ben Hozie, the song's accompanying video arrives alongside the release. For the recording, BODEGA travelled outside New York City for the first time, working with producer Matt Peel – whose credits include Yard Act, Honesty and Divorce – at the Nave, a Leeds studio housed inside a deconsecrated church. Mixing duties then passed to Theo Verney (English Teacher, Lime Garden) in Brighton.

Of the song itself, Hozie offers: "This song is set at an imagined date at a faux fancy restaurant w/ art deco wallpaper and fish-tank ambience. I know too many friends who tolerate unfulfilling relationships (either romantic, platonic, artistic, or business) out of politeness or fear of letting others down. You don't have to. The real danger of spending time w/ people who don't inspire is how their way of being rubs off on your mind and persona. Strike the set, rewrite the draft, and pick up the (metaphorical) check."

The single arrives following three full-length records: 2018's 'Endless Scroll', 2022's 'Broken Equipment', and 2024's 'Our Brand Could Be Your Life'.