INFO

SHORT BIO:

The Botz is an NYC-based acoustic rock trio led by singer-songwriter Bayard Russell. With "pure vocals delivered over acoustic guitar riffs," their songs explore themes of technology, war, alienation, and love.

PRESS PHOTOS:

FULL BIOGRAPHY:

THE BOTZ is an NYC-based acoustic rock trio led by singer-songwriter Bayard Russell. With "pure vocals delivered over acoustic guitar riffs," their songs explore themes of technology, war, alienation, and love.

THE BOTZ first played together at La Negrita in April 2009, when Bayard Russell was joined by Luca Columbu (former guitarist of the White Noise Supremecists) and Jason Lang (former drummer of Karma). They continue to perform regularly at New York venues such as Pianos, Lucky Mojos, Kenny's Castaways, Trash Bar, The Fort at Sidewalk Cafe, Bohemian Hall, Connelly's Klub 45, Desmond's Tavern, Bar East, Waltz-Astoria, Blackbirds and La Negrita; and in festivals like LIC House Party, Why Leave Astoria, Astoria Music Now!, Make Music NY, The Interdependence Project Festival and the annual IMC Festival.

Bayard Russell grew up in the suburbs of Indiana, influenced equally by The Beatles and Ice Cube. Classically trained in piano from age four, he discovered the guitar in high school and his passion for pop music blossomed. He moved to NYC after graduating from Dartmouth College with a major in philosophy and a minor in music. He has previously written for and performed with the bands Karess, Clean Slate, Funkelstiltskin, The Very Nerve, and Matt Jones Band, and is currently the lead vocalist and bassist for Negative Ken. He has a solo album "Selftitled" available on CD Baby and iTunes, about which Neufutur Magazine has said, "All that individuals need to do is stick the album in and be placed on clouds of indie rock that will float them along for the better part of an hour."

MEMBERS:

Bayard Russell - acoustic guitar, lead vocals
Luca Columbu - electric guitar
Jason Lang - drums

Guest performers - Chris Wengert, Jamie Weinstein (drums) ; Dave Florey (keyboard)

BAND NAME ORIGIN:

We wanted a science fiction-ey name to call attention to the themes of many of our songs. Jason originally came up with The Bots, but a quick Googling revealed this was already taken by a band that doesn't exist (or rather, only exists virtually on the net). We had our hearts set on the name, though, so we went with The Botz and the rest is ancient history.

FOR BOOKING INQUIRIES:

bayard [at] gmail [dot com]

FOR PRESS INQUIRIES:

bayard [at] gmail [dot com]

PRESS

PRESS QUOTES FOR "SELFTITLED":

"Russell delivers simple, catchy songs with honest lyrics straight from his broken heart. He effortlessly takes what most of us would consider as bad situations and makes light of them, and in doing so he creates a responsive bond of some sort with his listeners." -HotIndieNews.com, August 2009

"Mr. Russell sings in a warm, intimate style that avoids in-your-face anger or a passive aggressive demand you love him as a fan. "Living at My Mom's" laments his lack of foresight in one failed relation, and "I Will Chase You" leads him into just such another learning experience. You may not learn much from Bayard yourself, but listening to him grope his way through life is a calming experience." - Ink9, October 2008

"Here is some deliciously sweet indie pop from NY artist Bayard Russell -- think John Mayer meets The Postal Service...some very honest lyrics that make you take light of a situation that would otherwise cause you to shudder in pain." - AudioDrums.com, July 2008

"Should stardom befall on Russell, and there’s no reason to see why it won’t, this debut is a glaring reason for him to keep the music coming from his bedroom, as well as his heart." -Northeast Performer Magazine, June 2008

"If you like Elliott Smith (and who doesn't?), then check out Selftitled." -Vox, March 2008

"Bayard does not overpower, but empowers my emotions... And, lets face it, the synthesizer production at the end of this cut is insane. Fun insane." -Eartaste, February 2008

"The release has a lofi, not over worked, raw edge to it that creates a nice feel. With its wide variety of techno sounds and dance beats, intermixed with an alternative meets Indie pop sound, with a dash of playfulness and experimentation added in makes Bayard Russell's Selftitled a release worth buying." -The Music Freelancer, February 2008

"Bayard Russell's musical concoctions are best described by the concept of flavor. Selftitled, his debut album, samples generously from the spice rack of genre as he seeks to uncover his musical identity. Somewhere between techno-indie and alternative-pop, Russell exhibits no shyness in self-discovery...His lack of genre definition is both interesting and admirable as he integrates the eclectic sounds that begin to define him as an artist." -Playback:stl, February 2008

"A wonderful find in amongst my in pile. I love the simplicity of the arrangements which really allows the tracks to shine. With one small blemish in a field of great tracks, this is definitely a great album, especially for fans of a more acoustic sound." - Indie Launchpad, February 2008

"The disc may outwardly look like nothing special, but all that individuals need to do is stick the album in and be placed on clouds of indie rock that will float them along for the better part of an hour." - Neufutur, February 2008

"SELFTITLED" ONE-SHEET...