LA-based teenage punk phenomena The Linda Lindas have made waves on the music scene with their catchy riffs and politically charged lyrics. The band consists of four members, the oldest member at 18 and the youngest at 12: Bela, Lucia, Mila and Eloise. They first gained public attention in 2020 when a video of them performing an original song called “Racist, Sexist Boy” at the LA Public Library went viral. The band is heavily influenced by punk and garage rock, with a sound reminiscent of bands like The Ramones and The Runaways. They have been praised for their raw and energetic performances as well as the powerful messages in their lyrics. At a time when representation and diversity in music are more important than ever, the Linda Lindas are a refreshing addition to the punk scene. With their youthful energy and socially conscious lyrics, they will surely be a band to watch in the future.
Check out what we learned in this exclusive Q+A below!
WHAT WERE SOME HIGHLIGHTS OF 2022 FOR THE LINDA LINDAS AND WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT YEAR?
Eloise: Playing with Jawbreaker at the Wiltern and Irving Plaza and doing another Save Music in Chinatown benefit show with Channel 3, Chip Kinman and Bombón.
Lucy: Touring and playing in California for the first time and making friends with bands like Bacchae and Japanese Breakfast.
Mila: Go on a bus tour with Japanese Breakfast and play big shows at Forest Hills Stadium and the Hollywood Bowl with them and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
Bela: Performances in Barcelona, London and Mexico City and many other festivals.
Lucy: In 2023 we want to release new music and play more shows.
Eloise: And continue to have fun!
WHAT BANDS ARE SOME FOR YOU?
Bela: Pretenders and Blondie.
Mila: Best Coast and The Go-Go’s.
Lucy: Mannequin Pussy and Paramore.
Eloise: I would like to have catchy riffs like the Buzzcocks.
EB: Which band would you like to play with in 2023?
Mila: The Tiger.
Lucy: Destroy boys.
Bela: The garden.
Eloise: Johnny Maraca and the Marockers.
How did you all start with your instruments?
Eloise: Lucia, Mila and I all played classical piano before learning rock instruments and that helped us a lot.
Lucy: When we started as a band, I wanted to play guitar. One day my dad gave me a guitar that sat in the corner of my room until the day I played it haha!
Bela: I played classical guitar and flamenco guitar before I played rock guitar, but my grandpa gave me a guitar for my 12th birthday.Mila: And I always wanted to play drums because our father was a drummer and my hands are too small for it guitar or bass were. I was only 8! One day we got a pair of shiny Vater 5A drumsticks from Guitar Center and that was the start.
Eloise: I got the bass because I missed the first practice and that’s all that’s left. It turned out to be a pretty cool instrument!
LUCIA, ELOISE AND BELLA ALL PLAY MUSIC MAN GUITARS. What drew each of you to this?
Lucy: They felt super comfortable and we also liked the way they looked. It doesn’t hurt that one of my favorite guitarists (St. Vincent) has a signature model that is so inspirational to play.
Bela: I was looking through a bunch of different guitars online and was first intrigued by the look of the Mariposa… the design has a Latin American vibe to it which I really liked. It wasn’t until later that I found out it was Omar Rodriguez-Lopez’s signature model, which is so sick!
Eloise: I love the connection to so many classic punk bassists like Joe Lally and Kim Deal.
What strings do you use?
Bella and Lucy: We use Ernie Ball Paradigm 11-54
Eloise: I use Ernie Ball Cobalt 55-110
Do you think these guitars created the band’s unique sound?
Lucy: Everything plays a part in what we do in some way. When we first got them we were excited to use the whammy bar which I have a lot of fun with.
DO YOU CHANGE GUITARS ON STAGE?
Bela: It used to not be the case because in the beginning we played very short sets and we weren’t as active on stage as we have been lately. Now we might have a change per show or every time we break a string. Luckily, the paradigms don’t break too often!
What is the impact of the pandemic on the band?
Lucy: We really missed playing shows and just playing together while sheltering on the spot, but we did get a chance to write songs.
Eloise: And one of the songs I wrote back then, “Missing You”, is about exactly that!
Mila: Later, when we were finally able to play concerts and tour again, some of us got sick with COVID and we had to postpone some of them.
Bela: But we were lucky and didn’t have to cancel any of them.
guitars
The Linda Lindas Used St Vincent Goldie, butterfly, and ray perch.