The Bots prepare to invade Atlanta

ALBANY — After blasting onto the national music scene on the strength of their full-length debut “Pink Palms” and killer sets at last year’s Coachella and Bonnaro festivals, Los Angeles-based duo The Bots will hit Georgia’s state capital for the first time when they take the stage Wednesday at Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood.

The group, which is made up of the Lei brothers — Mikaiah, who handles vocals, guitar and bass duties, and Anaiah, who lays down the beats and adds percussion — is currently on tour with rock heavyweights Incubus and the Deftones and will make 18 stops in a little over a month.

By all accounts, the brothers are having a complete blast sharing their infectious mix of garage rock, punk and funk with a slew of new fans.

“The going is good,” said Mikaiah during a recent telephone interview on his way to the tour’s fourth stop in Holmdel, N.J. “It’s a really nice tour so far. We’re getting into our groove. (Incubus and the Deftones) they’re really great bands. They’re great performers and great dudes as well. We’re also meeting a lot of new fans and a lot of kind people.”

Likely those new fans are noticing what countless music critics have noticed over the past few years as the brothers continue their assent to stardom — music that’s played extremely well, and with tremendous passion, which is what has been driving the Leis since they first picked up instruments as young children after being inspired by the music playing in their parents’ home.

“There was definitely a lot of music playing around the house — rock, punk, reggae, everything,” says Mikaiah. “Early on, when we were pre-teens, dad got us into punk rock. As a child, as far back as I can remember, we just listened to everything. We have cool parents. It’s like that now. We play what we want to hear. We’re influenced by so many different styles of music, so that’s the style of music we play.”

Indeed, ask either brother about The Bots’ influences and what they’re currently listening to, and the answer covers a interesting cross-section of styles, with rock and punk always near the top.

“St. Vincent, Tame Impala, Arcade Fire, Norah Jones, Feist, a lot of different stuff,” says Mikaiah.

“All sorts of stuff like that,” adds Anaiah. “Lots of funk. The point is, I’m into all styles of music. I (also) listen to a lot of old stuff. We’re old, young souls.

“Bob Marley, Led Zeppelin, Motorhead, AC/DC, Bad Brains, Minor Threat” Mikaiah continues. “All the good old rock bands and punk bands. All of them. You can go down the list.”

With those types of influences, it’s no wonder The Bots tread heavily in the myriad corners of rock music, and it’s striking for new listeners to realize that the lush sounds the band creates are coming from a two-piece.

Utilizing a raft of different techniques and technologies, the brothers aren’t afraid to stretch out their sound beyond what most fans would expect from a drum and guitar combo, a la The White Stripes, The Black Keys and the Flat Duo Jets.

According to the Leis, they don’t place any limitations on themselves when writing music, choosing instead to just follow whatever ideas come to them, which they say keeps things fresh.

“We’re always working on different ways to produce music, how we approach a song,” said Mikaiah. “You’ve got to keep it interesting, make it fun. We try to have a lot of enthusiasm and passion. I love making music. I’m always writing. I have to write music when I’m on the road. You can’t ignore a good idea. Especially if it’s knocking on the door.”

“We try to celebrate creating things, making songs on our own terms,” added Anaiah. “Whatever happens, happens. It’s so much fun writing that way.”

Mikaiah also shared that where some bands might be concerned with writing in a manner that will be easily repeated in a live setting, he and his brother don’t worry too much about that and look at playing live as simply another, wholly different creative avenue.

“That’s not really a concern,” Mikaiah said. “We live in 2015 and there’s so much technology. We have a lot of lavish recordings. What we do live is a rendition of that song. We’re just trying to utilize the dynamics of a two-piece band. Having (things like loops, synth triggers and samples) just accentuates the music.”

Despite that fearlessness live, though The Bots do limit their use of technology when on stage.

“I value the human aspect of performing live,” Mikaiah said. “There’s a fine line. You don’t want to overdo it. You want to be a rock band at the end of the day. We don’t want to get too consumed by the technology.”

“Me and Mikaiah like to get interesting with our live music as well,” Anaiah added. “(We like to) spice it up, make it juicy. It’s fun.”

Having fun is an important theme for the duo, and it’s clear that they both love all facets of what they do and fully immerse themselves in creating new music and performing that music in front of audiences.

“I enjoy both sides equally,” Mikaiah said. “It’s two different animals, for sure. Creating music is pleasurable. Creating and playing are two of the best feelings.”

“It’s different, I like them both,” Anaiah added. “I really like doing both equally.”

Whether its creating the next song that strikes their fancy or tearing through a ferocious live set in front of a packed house, one thing that’s certain is that the most important thing for The Bots is being together.

“This is the best thing I could have hoped for,” said Mikaiah of being in a band with Anaiah. “Family’s family. Blood is blood. No matter what happens, we’ve got each other.”

Wednesday’s show at Aaron’s is slated to kick off at 6:15 p.m., and tickets are currently available through amphitheatrelakewood.com or livenation.com.

“It’s going to be a good old-fashioned rock and roll show,” said Mikaiah. “It’s going to be a good time.”