12 March 2013
NEW MEDIA COMING SOON

BATSmediaUSA2013

The Bats Media Feb2009

The Bats are - Robert Scott (vocals, lead guitars); Kaye Woodward (guitars, vocals); Paul Kean (bass, guitar, backing vocals, production); Malcom Grant (drums)

please contact The Bats
cell: 027.2261336
or email info@thebats.co.nz
website - http://www.thebats.co.nz

The Bats "The Guilty Office" sessions recorded by John Kelcher at The National Grid Studio, Heathcote Valley.
Overdubs recorded plus mixing and mastering by Paul Kean at Longfellow Street.
Guest musicians on The Guilty Office - Alan Starrett on violin, cello and accordian. Katrina Thompson on Harp recorded by Mike McLeod.

for OFFICIAL MEDIA RELEASE FOR "The Guilty Office" CD and REVIEW COPIES, PLEASE ENQUIRE at Arch Hill Recordings

Below is previous media info with a good background to The Bats career to date.
let's recap - it's been well over 20 years so some might not know the background to The Bats ....
Often loosely referred to as an indie pop band, they toured USA 4 times between 1986 and 1993 when at one stage they took to the road for a 14 date tour with Belly and Radiohead. They scored with front cover placments on benchmark US industry mag Billboard featuring glowing reviews for their releases through Communion and Mammoth Records, Single of the Week in British mag NME, high placings on the CMJ charts and use of their songs in surf & snowboard movies and on MTV. From 1994 they were busy in New Zealand working on raising families, side projects of Minisnap (Kaye Woodwards songs), The Clean and solo albums from Robert Scott.

In 2000 they put together a Bats greatest almost hits CD "1000's of Tiny Luminous Spheres" gathering the best from 5 of their albums that also included a couple of new tracks.

Late in 2005 they finished off their 6th studio album, "The Bats At The National Grid" on Pocket Music. This had a global release including distribution through Magic Marker Records in the USA, Little Teddy in Europe, Egg Records in UK, Reverberation in Australia and Rhythmethod in New Zealand.
- "The National Grid" album received excellent reviews from influencial media including Spin, Magnet Magazine, All Music Guide and College Music Journal.
- The Bats at the National Grid achieved airplay on 200 of the CMJ radio stations in the USA with many of them charting the album and playlisting songs. It even got played and reviewed on Weekend America!

In March 2006, due to these successes, The Bats were invited to USA for a brief tour taking in Austin's SxSW Festival along with performances at clubs, instores and live to airs in New York, New Jersey, Boston, Houston, San Fransisco and LA.
What others are saying about "The Bats at the National Grid"
Perhaps no other band conveys comfort and familiarity while simultaneously taking the listener to dark, unexplored areas as the shimmering, infectious melodies and brightly chiming guitar sound of The Bats.
The Bats was formed in Christchurch, New Zealand in 1982 by Robert Scott, former bassist for the massively influencial The Clean, as an outlet for his own songs. He became guitarist and prime vocalist, while ex-Toy Love member Paul Kean took on bass. Malcolm Grant became drummer and guitarist Kaye Woodward’s gleaming harmony vocals would come to be a defining presence in the band. Signing to New Zealand's hottest indie label, Flying Nun, The Bats went on to release 3 eps, 6 albums and 2 compilations as well as numerous singles and videos. The Bats music ranges from light diaphanous, guitar based psychedelia to rousing bittersweet hymns, from melancholy chorales for the disenfranchised to electric sea shanties full of forboding. Sporting the same lineup as the day it was born, this is a band continually breathing new life into its repertoire, most recently with the first album in 10 years, The Bats at the National Grid, released in October 2005. (Magic Marker, Little Teddy, Egg)

from www.allmusic.com review by Tim Sendra
The songs are perhaps the most diverse-sounding batch they have released yet, ranging from the slow-burning "Pre War Blues" and the noisy instrumental "Hubert" to the sweet-as-pie "Bells," the clattering indie rocker "Things," and the bouncy "Flowers & Trees." Of course, they all sound like the Bats, with Scott's fragile but forceful vocals, the jangling, intertwining guitars from Scott and Woodward, Paul Kean's melodic and up-front bass, Malcolm Grant's simple but rock-solid drumming, and -- above all -- poignant and lively songwriting. In fact, Robert Scott is at the top of his considerable talents here, crafting tunes that linger long after the record is over.

from www.magnetmagazine review of "The Bats at the National Grid" by Brian Raferty
....it sounds oddly contemporary, the kind of docile rock that would make Sub Pop's post-Shins A&R team slobber. On tranquil acoustic numbers “Bells and Western Isles,” Robert Scott and Kaye Woodward's voices fasten together beautifully, practically strumming the guitars for them; but when At The National Grid turns frantic (as on “Horizon,” the record's best track), those same vocals turn defiant, backed by increasingly ramshackle fuzz-guitar asides. That the Bats can churn out such an alternately haunting and heartfelt collection in their 23rd year is a testament to their indefatigable skills. It's also a good reason to harass them into getting together again before another decade passes.
After returning from a very enjoyable and successful tour of USA in 2006 the band found their "the Bats At The National Grid" album on the top 5 CD releases as judged by NZMusic.com for New Zealand Music month.
The Bats live show is described below by a random pre Big Day Out Festival blogger:
“"you are in for a treat. they are like the bestest live dance boogie Git-Down! live act in the history of kiwi music. they have one of the finest rhythm sections ever. i'm lucky enough to have seen them around half a dozen times in the last decade - they really kick out the jams more than 90% of the bands half their age".
”albums
Daddy's Highway (1987)
Compiletely Bats (1988 collection of By Night, ‘Music for the Fireside” and Made up in Blue EP's)
The Law of Things (1990)
Fear of God (1991)
Silverbeet (1992)
Couchmaster (1995)
1000's of Tiny Luminous Spheres (2002 greatest almost hits”)
The Bats at the National Grid (2005)
and now in 2009, "The Guilty Office" on Arch Hill Recordings