Band of Brothers — We caught up with Californian siblings The Bots to put to the test exactly how little they know about one another.

Brotherly love is an odd thing.

As far as we can tell it seems to be an odd hybrid of an incomparable understanding between two people and ruthless physical violence otherwise unmatched in civilised society. But what if all the punch-ups and pranks were channelled somewhere else? Take, for example, rock ‘n’ roll, the great driving force of adolescent aggression – if brothers spent more time losing their shit to that, maybe things would be better. Maybe Peter Hitchens wouldn’t be such a callous imbecile if young Christopher had bought him a bass and formed a ska band around him. Maybe David and Ed could have formed some sort of Mili-band rather than sparring in politics. Enter Anaiah and Mikaiah Lei, better known as the Californian duo The Bots.

They’ve played together since they were nine and 12 respectively, self-releasing a slew of EPs before being picked up by a major. They’ve toured the world many times over and lived together since birth. Which made us wonder just how well they know each other. We decided to put that to the test backstage before their recent headline spot at the Camden Barfly, pitting sibling against sibling in some sort of cruel, potentially family-destroying fraternal challenge.

The Bots’ latest album ‘Pink Palms’ is out now.

Latest on Huck

Exploring the impact of colonialism on Australia’s Indigenous communities
Photography

Exploring the impact of colonialism on Australia’s Indigenous communities

New exhibition, ‘Under a Southern Star: Identity and Environment in Australian Photography’ interrogates the use of photography as a tool of objectification and subjugation.

Written by: Miss Rosen

My sister disappeared when we were children. Years later, I retraced her footsteps
Photography

My sister disappeared when we were children. Years later, I retraced her footsteps

After a car crash that saw Magnum photographer Lindokuhle Sobekwa hospitalised, his sister ran away from their home in South Africa. His new photobook, I Carry Her Photo With Me, documents his journey in search of her.

Written by: Lindokuhle Sobekwa

Inside New York City’s hedonistic 2000s skateboarding scene
Photography

Inside New York City’s hedonistic 2000s skateboarding scene

New photobook, ‘Epicly Later’d’ is a lucid survey of the early naughties New York skate scene and its party culture.

Written by: Isaac Muk

Did we create a generation of prudes?
Culture

Did we create a generation of prudes?

Has the crushing of ‘teen’ entertainment and our failure to represent the full breadth of adolescent experience produced generation Zzz? Emma Garland investigates.

Written by: Emma Garland

How to shoot the world’s most gruelling race
Photography

How to shoot the world’s most gruelling race

Photographer R. Perry Flowers documented the 2023 edition of the Winter Death Race and talked through the experience in Huck 81.

Written by: Josh Jones

An epic portrait of 20th Century America
Photography

An epic portrait of 20th Century America

‘Al Satterwhite: A Retrospective’ brings together scenes from this storied chapter of American life, when long form reportage was the hallmark of legacy media.

Written by: Miss Rosen

Sign up to our newsletter

Issue 81: The more than a game issue

Buy it now