Bio
Forging their own path in today’s music industry, brothers and band-mates Mikaiah Lei, 18, and Anaiah Lei, 14, are 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 currently available on on their website (thebotsband.com) and on iTunes in October. 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" and a video release for "Vanity" is expected as well this fall.
Shortly after that they were on the road again 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
The brothers credit their mother, for her guidance and faith and their father, for his support and inspiration. Other inspirations include Arcade Fire, Black Flag, The White Stripes, Arcade Fire, Arcade Fire, LA’s Wasted Youth, Arcade Fire, Circle Jerks, Arcade Fire, Arcade Fire, Rancid, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Arcade Fire and The XX.
The lead guitarist, vocals, and songwriter for THE BOTS, two-time Warped Tour Veteran and two-time Afro-Punk Tour veteran with three acclaimed albums the under his belt, Mikaiah Lei, 18, just graduated highschool and is busy writing for their upcoming album with his brother and bandmate, Anaiah.
Mikaiah Lei (lead guitar, vocals) has been playing with The Bots from the band’s formation in 2006. The Bots, a band soley comprised of he and his brother, Anaiah (drums, back-up vocals) are making music and headlines after recording two albums (currently at work on a fourth) and a multitude of music videos as well as touring with the Vans Warped Tour ’10 and '11 as well as Afro-Punk Tour in ’09 and ’10.
Mikaiah was 13 when he wrote one of The Bots most popular songs Old Days, which was recorded on The Bots’ first album, “Untitled Album” in 2009 when he was 15 years old. The album has 10 original tracks (the 11th song is a Yeah Yeah Yeahs cover) of which he co-wrote almost all with his brother. The video for Old Days was the duo’s first, followed by I Like Your Style, both filmed at or around Paramount Americayn Studios in Hollywood, CA, where they were recording.
Mikaiah played a string of shows with The Bots at such world famous clubs as The Whiskey A Go-Go and The Roxy on LA’s Sunset Strip and not long after his 16th birthday, Mikaiah was bestowed a guitar from the personal collection of Guitarist David Ryan Harris (John Mayer) who had seen his videos and came to a show at The Whiskey in Hollywood.
A few months later, Mikaiah played on his first Afro-Punk Tour, headlining with the likes of American Fang and Saul Williams. By the spring of 2010 he was back in the studio recording and producing The Bots lastest EP, Black and White Lights, as well as putting out two more videos. By early summer Mikaiah played his second Afro-Punk Tour, headlining for the legendary Bad Brains in Brooklyn, NY, a show which was very well reviewed. By the end of the summer, Mikaiah was playing on the Vans Warped Tour, with dates in Southern and Northern California, Idaho, Washington and Oregon.
Now 18, having just graduated high school and back from 2011 Vans Warped Tour, Mikaiah is looking forward to a string of local shows this fall in southern California and to jumping back into the studio again before the new year.
An accomplished songwriter, drummer and back-up vocalist in a rock band hailed as the ‘future of punk’ and youngest ever Vans Warped Tour two-time veteran, Anaiah Lei is 14 years old, working on his fourth album, and is in his sophmore year in high school.
He is the acclaimed drummer and songwriter for the The Bots, a rock band started in 2006 with his brother Mikaiah, 18, on lead guitar and vocals. The unique bond between the brothers sparks intense melodies, fresh lyrics, and driving beats, sometimes reminiscent of ‘old school’ punk but always refreshing, raw and extremely soul satisfying.
Anaiah was 10 years old when he began writing and 12 when he recorded his first album, “Self-Titled Album” at Paramount Ameryican Studios in Hollywood, CA for The Bots. He has since played with the Vans Warped Tour along with an extensive list of live shows including the world famous Whiskey A Go-Go and The Roxy on L.A.’s Sunset Strip. This past June, Anaiah and his brother opened up for the legendary Bad Brains in Brooklyn, NY on the Afro-Punk tour, which received rave reviews including the New York Times and Georgetown Radio.
Born into the Rastafarian organization, 12 Tribes of Isreal, Anaiah grew up listening to a lot of reggae and witnessed with great respect to the elder members drumming in their circle during congregations. He has since himself performed live on the bongo drum with poet & Author A’Selma and her drum troupe and enjoys the spiritual side of music but takes a definitively more rock approach to his own.
Anaiah's intense originality and exploration of gritty rock and roll set him apart at an early age and has been a noted inspiration to other bands. His own work has been inspired by, (but not derived from) such bands as L.A’s Wasted Youth, Bad Brains, Circle Jerks, A7X, Black Flag, and Rancid. Anaiah is very social and when he is not practicing, playing shows or in school, he can often be spotted surfing above the crowd at local punk/rock show.
