Californian experimental-punk duo The Bots are two of the most unassuming rockstars you’ll ever stumble across. Mikaiah Lei (vocals and guitars, aged 19) and Anaiah Lei (percussion and backing vocals, aged 15) have been bring punk rock back to life over the past seven years and have been earning recognition from a lot of well-respected musicians. And it’s more than deserved.

Blur. The Temper Trap. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Refused. These are just a few of the big names that The Bots have earned the respect and recognition of and supported on tour. Yet despite this, the band are still humble and still don’t take themselves too seriously. On stage they have fun and go crazy, putting on a spectacularly energetic show that involves everybody. No matter whether you’re a party animal or a quiet observer, the band have a knack for involving you in the shows in a very special way. You become a part of the performance and the show.

It’s hard to define the band’s sound as they’re so highly experimental it could change at any moment. It can be described as experimental, punk, indie, alternative, rock…almost anything. The band cite a lot of bands as influences on them: Arcade Fire, Rancid, The White Stripes, The XX and so many other bands that it would take forever to name. The band are just influenced by music: they enjoy all sorts and are always eager to try different styles.

Since 2009, the band have released one album and two EP’s: entitled ‘Self-Titled Album‘ (2009), ‘Black and White Lights‘ (2010) and ‘Ladies & Gentlemen‘ (2011) respectively. And each of these has shown the band at a different stage in their musical development. And as the band get more comfortable with their sound and their ability, it is reflected in their recordings. In essence, The Bots is a band that invites you to share their growth and development. They are young, and this works to their advantage: they have so much to learn and so much to do, and you are invited to listen along as they learn and do everything. And trust me, they could well do everything.

The band are aiming to release their next album at some stage next year, or at least begin studio work upon it. And they’re determined that it will be much less “plug in and go” than ‘Self-Titled Debut’ was. But until that album is released, here is ‘Northern Lights‘ – a fine track from their ‘Ladies And Gentlemen’ EP.

You can listen to the track here.