Neil and Marc managed to catch Mikaiah Lei and Anaiah Lei otherwise known as The Bots, for a quick interview after their set at Hevy.
How did you guys come together and how did you come up with the name The Bots?
Anaiah Lei: Well.

Mikaiah Lei: You ask the right question. We played with a couple of people when we were in high school and the band just got a bit smaller, it was five piece now there's just us two. It was called The Bots when it was five people but we were too lazy to make a new myspace page we just edited them out. We have to stay with the name now because we're making a bit of success. It is what it is.

Who would you say your main musical influences are?
Anaiah Lei: I don't have a main musical influence, I have so many I can't think of a name. But to name a few.

Mikaiah Lei: For me, Arcade Fire, Micachu & The Shapes, Yachts , slower music like Nerodrones, Feist and stuff. Just everything that kinda inspires me, passion for music and writing composition.

We first caught sight of you when you got pulled on stage at the Alkaline Trio gig in the Electric Ballroom, how did that come about?
Anaiah Lei: We met Alkaline Trio on the Warped tour 2010. Then we met them again over here because we were touring in May.

Mikaiah Lei: We met each other at a rock bar.

Anaiah Lei: Because we played a show the same time as them. And then we were talking and they said they were playing a gig at Camden electric ball room, we were like ah sweet are we going to be able to go and we got the word from our tour manager that we were.

Mikaiah Lei: We just intended on going to watch the show, have some fun.

Anaiah Lei: Then Matt comes up to us and he's like "we want you guys to do a song on stage". We're like "Ok. You're awesome, this is like an off day for us. Making us play on an off day."

Mikaiah Lei: "This is my break day man, this is not fair."

Anaiah Lei: But yeah it was awesome.

Mikaiah Lei: He let me borrow his Jaguar and we hopped on that enormous stage. The setup is so different. Just jammed out a song and had fun with it.

Anaiah Lei: The crowd liked it, we did massive stage dives.

Mikaiah Lei: Yea I did a massive stage dive.

Anaiah Lei: We both did massive stage dives.

Yea it's got to be a lot of room with just two people.
Anaiah Lei: yea way to much room.

You supported Tenacious D and Less Than Jake how was that?
Anaiah Lei: They were amazing, all the guys in Less Than Jake and all the guys in Tenacious D are just wonderful.

Mikaiah Lei: Funny guys. Everybody's been to kind to us, it just makes the journey and the experience all the better. No problems, it's all good times. I have so many stories to tell. It's just memories.

How was your set today? Did it go down well.
Mikaiah Lei: For us, I performed my heart out. I played the songs I love to play.

Anaiah Lei: It was good, the crowd was you know.

Mikaiah Lei: They're more heavy, they're hardcore.

They stood around and just absorbed it.

Anaiah Lei: Hence the name Hevy fest.

It's like they planned it.

Mikaiah Lei: What, no.

Anaiah Lei: Ohh my days.

You're supporting Blur soon, are you excited about that?
Mikaiah Lei: We've already started.
Anaiah Lei: We did two shows.

Mikaiah Lei: Margate the nthe Hundred club, which was insane.

What's been the best experience, Less Than Jake, Blur, Tenacious D or being pulled on stage by Alkaline Trio?
Mikaiah Lei: I dunno, we've only done the two Blur dates and were doing this right now. We're going to be on the Blur tour later on. Amsterdam was my favourite thing.

Anaiah Lei: We played Amsterdam basically the first day, we did a massive stage dive.

Mikaiah Lei: Everybody loved that show.

Anaiah Lei: It was a good show.

Mikaiah Lei: Yeah. Blowjobs for everybody. A round of blowjobs for my lads, right after the show. Something like that. Not really.

Earlier in the year you released "How To Make Friends" how has it gone down?
Anaiah Lei: Good. Its songs that we've been doing on tour.

Mikaiah Lei: The songs we've just been playing, and people seem to like em. So it's good.

Anaiah Lei: But the next album, that we're going to record in September, October that is what to look out for.

Have you got the tracks written?
Anaiah Lei: We have a lot of the tracks, not fully written.

Mikaiah Lei: That's also the fun of it. We have a lot of the tracks we want to record in mind. Majority of them are done. Other ones need to be worked on in the studio and that's the fun part. Just getting in there.

Anaiah Lei: It'll be awesome.

Mikaiah Lei: The challenges, the musical skill in it is just fun. It's just our way of doing it I guess.. Every band is different.

How do you do your recording, do you have a routine? How was the experience?
Anaiah Lei: When we used to do it, it was a quick thing. We put effort into it but not as much as we would like to now.

So you think the next ones going to be a lot different?
Anaiah Lei: It's going to be a lot different.

Mikaiah Lei: Provided there's more time to take care of the business, really develop and construct the songs in the right way. Take a close listen. We're not completely satisfied with the songs that I'd written. That's how I know it's going to be good for me and a lot of people will like it. I not going to say we put out things we didn't like. We put out these sounds and times have changed. We've got a bit older. I mean there's so much more we can do now and we're gunna to do it.

Anaiah Lei: Pretty much.

Which song would you say sums you up the most, If you could tell someone to listen to one track what would it be?
Mikaiah Lei: A new one hasn't came out yet. It's going to be ground breaker for us.

Anaiah Lei: Yeah It's gunna be amazing.

Mikaiah Lei: 5 17.

Anaiah Lei: 5 17 get ready for that.

Mikaiah Lei: But since that's not an existing song yet, I guess people like Northern Lights a lot, that's a good one.

Anaiah Lei: Yeah that's a good one.

Mikaiah Lei: It's a faster tune. Its heavy and stuff, it's got a good dynamic in it.

Where do you see yourself in a year's time? Have the new album out and touring that?

Mikaiah Lei: Next album out, continue touring I suppose. I'm just looking forward to my holiday now. I need vacation.

Anaiah Lei: Well we call it vacation.

Mikaiah Lei: Just for your sake, for the people that are here.

Our last question, would you rather be a Zebra or a Giraffe and why?
Mikaiah Lei: You mean a Zeeebra, na I'm just kidding. I'd be a Giraffe, Giraffes are awesome.

Anaiah Lei: I dunno, being born so tall would be weird. I'd be a zebra.

Mikaiah Lei: Ummm, zebras have no vocal chords, no I mean Giraffes. It's late in the day I don't have to make sense. They are the only animal that make no noise. They have like a 20 foot... I sound like a weirdo for knowing so much about Giraffes.

Anaiah Lei: A baby giraffe is at least six feet.

Mikaiah Lei: So yeah, a Giraffe.

Have you got anything you would like to pass on to your fans?
Mikaiah Lei: Thank you for all the support. If you have ever said anything nice to us or left us a nice message on like Youtube then thanks. Oh... and check out the new album! I hope you guys like it, If you don't know about us and you read this interview and you watch our band we hope you like it. Best wishes to everybody.

Anaiah Lei: Thank you guys.

Interview by Marc Rich