page_title: The Bats (New Zealand band)
section_title: 1995 – present: hiatus and return
hierarchical_section_title: The Bats (New Zealand band) / History / 1995 – present: hiatus and return
caption_attribution_description: Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker Hagley Park Christchurch Canterbury New Zealand performing with The Bats Photo Taken With: Canon EOS 1000D + Canon EF/EF-S lenses + 10.1 effective megapixels + 2.5-inch TFT color LCD monitor + Eye-level pentamirror SLR + Live View shooting. + EOS Built-in Sensor cleaning system + Wide-area 7 point AF with center cross-type sensors + DIGIC III Image Processor + PictBridge and Canon Direct Print compatible – no PC required + Continuous Drive up to 3 frames per second for as many JPEGs until the card is filled + Storage: SD &amp; SDHC Card + Sensitivity: Auto, ISO 100 to 1600
context_page_description: The Bats are an influential New Zealand rock band formed in 1982 in Christchurch by Paul Kean, Malcolm Grant, Robert Scott and Kaye Woodward. Though primarily a Christchurch band, The Bats have strong links to Dunedin and are usually grouped in with the Dunedin sound musicians that emerged in the early 1980s. The band has retained the same four members from 1982 to the present day.
context_section_description: From 1995, The Bats took a break, with band members concentrating on raising families and on other musical projects. Scott joined his former band The Clean on a reunion tour, and released a solo album, The Creeping Unknown, in 2001, while Woodward, Kean and Grant formed another band, Minisnap. In 2000 the compilation album Thousands Of Tiny Luminous Spheres was released on Flying Nun Records. The Bats continued to play occasional gigs, often opening as Minisnap and finishing with the full Bats lineup.
  Robert Scott has stated that he thinks the regular breaks taken by the band have contributed to its longevity. In an interview, he said, "Each time we come back to it, it is fun. I don’t think working on other projects has harmed or hindered any other projects. It adds to it I think."
  In September 2005, The Bats released their first album in ten years, At the National Grid, on their own label, Pocket Music. Internationally, the album was released by Little Teddy Records in Germany, Magic Marker in the US and Egg Records in the UK. The album generally received very positive reviews. Tim Sendra at Allmusic gave it 4 stars, adding "...having the group back at such a high level is as refreshing as a plunge into an ice-cold mountain stream." It got airplay on many college radio stations in the US, leading to an appearance at Austin's SXSW Festival in 2006.
  The Bats' seventh full-length album, The Guilty Office, was recorded in Heathcote Valley, Christchurch, and was released on 1 December 2008 through Arch Hill., with the first single, 'Castle Lights'. International release followed, on YesBoyIcecream in the UK and Europe, Kning Disk in Scandinavia, Hidden Agenda in the US, and Mistletone in Australia.The Guilty Office was named in the top 5 of 2008 by New Zealand television host, John Campbell, and received many positive reviews including 4 stars from Allmusic and  Mojo Magazine. The band toured the UK and Europe in May and June 2009 in support of the album. In October 2010, the band played at the free relief concert in Hagley Park following the September 2010 Canterbury earthquake in front of about 140,000 people. The Mayor of Christchurch at the time, Bob Parker, joined The Bats for the performance and played guitar.
  In 2011, The Bats reunited with their old label Flying Nun and released their eighth album, Free All the Monsters, which was described by Pitchfork as "...their best record in years, possibly ever". The album was released by Mistletone Records in Australia, Revolver/Midheaven Distribution in the US, and Forte Distribution in the UK and Europe. It was also shortlisted for the 2012 Taite Music Prize.
  In August 2020, the band announced their 10th studio album Foothills, which will be released on November 13, 2020.
caption: Mayor Bob Parker performing with The Bats at the Band Together Concert For Canterbury in October 2010
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