The many layers of musical complexity in Mellowdrone's music and the band members' unwavering commitment to musical excellence has drawn in fans around the globe. Mellowdrone's songwriter, singer and guitarist Jonathan Bates was born in Venezuela in 1979 and later lived in Miami, Florida. He picked up the guitar from a young age, and his musical talent got him a scholarship to the Berklee School of Music. There he honed his skill, but left a year before graduation for Los Angeles in order to pursue his music career full time.In Los Angeles, Bates teamed up with guitarist Tony DeMatteo and drummer Brian Borg, who was Bates' childhood friend. Before Mellowdrone could take off, DeMatteo was in a nearly-fatal car accident that left him in a coma for days and with three months of recovery. The band started releasing EPs in 1999 like A Demonstration of Intellectual Property and Go Get ‘Em Tiger. The creative EPs were starting to get Mellowdrone noticed. Helping their exposure was touring with other, more well-known bands. They soon had a record deal and released their debut album, Box, in 2006.The release of the album was accompanied by a successful tour that took the band throughout the U.S., Europe and Japan. The tour included bands like The Killers, Elbow, Secret Machines, She Wants Revenge and Phantom Planet. Their popularity was further boosted by having their songs features on hit television shows, films and commercials. They had songs on Six Feet Under, The Invisible, Cane and Project Runway. Mellowdrone was dropped from its label in early 2007, but the band found a positive in the blow because it meant each member could be even more creative without influence from a gatekeeper. They have also drawn in new fans because of MySpace, and everyone is looking for the next move from this talented group.