BIO:
THE BOTS stands for anything you want it to, including Art, Music and Knowledge. Born to an Chinese father and Afro-Caribbean mother, brothers and band-mates Mikaiah Lei, 19, and Anaiah Lei, 16, are forging their own path in today’s music industry, producing an infectious strain of rock and with a style all their own. Known for their fast-paced driving drums, grinding melodies and radical breakdowns, The Bots’ songs have been reviewed as ‘fresh’ and ‘raw’, their deep appreciation for the truth of their music always evident, never over producing and ever exploring a variety different styles and instruments.
THE BOTS have recorded three albums, two of them singles, and are currently working on their next full length. “Self-Titled Album” (2009), “Black and White Lights” (2010), and "Ladies & Gentlemen" (2011) all available on iTunes. They have put forth an army of videos on YouTube, played (and continue to play) an extensive string of live shows around the L.A. area over the past two years and have played both the Vans Warped Tour ’10 and '11, the Afro-Punk Tour ‘09 and ’10.
Mikaiah (lead guitar, vocals), was 15 years old and brother Anaiah (drums, backup vocals), was 12 when their band The Bots recorded their first album, “Self-Titled Album” at Paramount Ameraycan Studios in Hollywood, CA in the spring of 2009. It consists of 10 original tracks that the boys co-wrote together and one cover of the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s song, “Art Star”.
By the spring of 2010 they were back at Paramount recording a two-track single, “Black and White Lights” that includes their songs “Notre Monde” and “No One Knows”, almost complete opposites of one another in their pacing, structure and attitude but both delivering insightful and often profound lyrics within their haunting melodies. The boys maintain that the words are very much secondary to the emotions evoked by the music itself.
Two months later in June 2010, The Bots were re-united with long-time family friend and front man for the Bad Brains, H.R., after opening for them on the Afro Punk Tour in Brooklyn, NY. They describe the experience as a definite highlight of their career, while articles and reviews hailed their performance as watching the ‘future of punk’.
In the spring of 2011, they linked up with Agent Orange drummer and producer, Dave Klein, who along with the boys produced their most recent single "Ladies & Gentlemen" which includes the tracks "Northern Lights" and "Vanity".
They put out a video for "Northern Lights", (a video release for "Vanity" is expected as well this fall) and then were on the road for the 2011 Vans Warped Tour where they played Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio, TX, Las Cruses NM, Las Vegas NV, Pomona CA, Ventura CA, Mountain View CA, Kansas, Indiana, Detroit, Chicago, and Minnesota!
The reviews from the Vans Warped Tour included a write-up in RollingStone:
"One of the day's coolest, most unexpected sets was delivered by the Bots–- two brothers from Glendale, California, ages 13 and 18 – playing tough and melodic punk 'n' blues in the Black Keys mode. "I'm pretty sure their mom is out on tour and watching over them," Against Me!'s Tom Gabel told Rolling Stone backstage, calling the young duo one of his favorite acts on this year's 44-date tour." –RollingStone [ July 5, 2011]
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/warped-tour-roars-into-socal-home-base-20110705
In February of 2012 THE BOTS released a UK single '"How To Make Friends" and shortly after jumped on a massive Spring-through-Fall 2012 Tour that is making history as we speak as the boys continue to make their way across Europe.
"[THE BOTS] are taking over the world, one stage at a time" - FRONT Magazine, July 2012
Beginning with a run with the London-based indie-rock band Tellison in May, they followed up a day later with an impressive set at The Great Escape Festival in Brighton and then Les InRocks party at the one and only Cannes Film Festival. After a few intimate shows around London they then jumped on the Tenacious D Tour in early June winning over fans and critics alike. Shortly after that they joined Less Than Jake and The Skints on a short UK tour, winding up the month with Le Rock Dans Les Tous Etats festival in France with Stuck In The Sound and Cypress Hill. Mid July THE BOTS joined Little Dragon, The Pharcyde and more at Dour Fest in Belgium.
THE BOTS will join BLUR on their UK Tour as well as the Converse Represent show at the legendary 100 Club in London on August 2nd.
After a set at Hevy festival and another show with their friends The Skints on August 4th, as well as a few yet-to-be-announced shows, THE BOTS will play Pukkelpop (Belgium) with Snoop Dog, Odd Future, Feist and The Hives followed by Lowlands (Holland) with Trash Talk and Black Keys. Afterwhich they appear at Highfield (Germany) with Social Distortion, Refused, The Shins, as well as Area 4 Festival (Germany) with Social Distortion, Agnostic Front and Subways. 1210 Festival (Germany), a club show in Switzerland and then Caberet Vert Festival (France) with Enter Shikari, Toots and the Maytals and Public Enemy round out the end of the month with a grand finale at Rock En Seine Festival (France) with Black Keys, Green Day and Social Distortion.
THE BOTS plan to record their new album in September before resuming their European tour in November when they will headline a string of shows in the UK and then head to France and Spain to tour with InRocks Festival and more through the end of the month.
The brothers credit their mother, for her guidance and faith and their father, for his support and inspiration. It was their father who grew up during the L.A. punk scene during it’s glory days who introduced the boys to an eclectic array of the music, both old-school and current, that has since inspired them including Black Flag, The White Stripes, Arcade Fire, LA’s Wasted Youth, Circle Jerks, DFA 1979, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and The XX.
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