New York-based Artist Sleepy Gary Finds Refuge in ‘Bodega’

Brooklyn, New York-based psychedelic rock artist Sleepy Gary makes a strong statement with his debut single, “Bodega.” Donning a memorable guitar riff and equally as captivating lyrics, the dreamy track conjures feelings of longing, nostalgia, and adventure.

Daniel Feldman, the namesake behind Sleepy Gary, is a Rockville, Maryland native. No stranger to the music scene, he was the frontman for Yo No Say, a Baltimore-based indie rock band, for seven years. He’s also half of Airplane Man, a New York City-based pop synth duo.

On impulse, long-time adventurer Sleepy Gary left his job, relationship, and band and moved 200 miles away to Bushwick into an apartment and city full of strangers. “Bodega” was born from that experience.

“Perched atop an unfamiliar bed” with “someone else’s crinkled sheets” beneath him, Sleepy Gary wrote about feeling isolated in a new place. The distinct tired, lonely, lo-fi sound captured in “Bodega” emanates from the way the track was recorded: Sleepy Gary sang quietly into his phone while his roommates slept.

Unable to recreate the magical vibe in subsequent days, Sleepy Gary kept the original vocals in the final track, co-produced by Gabriel Stanley of Isotopia Records, mixed by Grammy-nominated Dave Weingarten, and mastered by Grammy-winning Alex DeTurk.

“I hate how much I love the way the sunlight hit your face/Now I’m 200 miles from the garden gates/Invisible in a crowded place,” Sleepy Gary sings in the chorus.

“Bodega” was inspired by a personal experience, but the themes captured in the song are all too familiar. Many of us have felt alone in a crowded place or invisible among the hustle and bustle of fellow human beings going about their lives. Despite the challenges of acclimating to a new environment, the song encourages audiences to never lose their sense of adventure and wonder. New beginnings carry boundless opportunities to be awakened to all life has to offer.

“Bodega” was named after Sleepy Gary’s primary source of comfort during the early days of starting over: the hallowed bodegas of New York, the sacred 2 a.m. ritual of chopped cheese and a ginger ale. “’Bodega’ is a song about letting go, about feeling uncool and invisible and like a permanent interloper, and the salvation of a late-night snack in the city that never sleeps,” explains Sleepy Gary.

Fans of Tame Impala and Rex Orange County will feel at home with Sleepy Gary’s music that expertly combines textured production and just the right balance of organic and processed sound.

Watch the lyric video for “Bodega” here and stay tuned for the release of Sleepy Gary’s forthcoming album, 21 Love Songs, an epic three-volume collection that draws from the artist’s experiences in D.C., Baltimore, and New York.

This track has been added to our Alchemical Weekly YouTube Playlist.