LA-based teenage punk phenomena, The Linda Lindas have been making waves in the music scene with their catchy riffs and politically charged lyrics. The band is made up of four members, the oldest member at 18 years old and the youngest, at 12: Bela, Lucia, Mila, and Eloise. They first came to public attention in 2020 when a video of them playing an original song called “Racist, Sexist Boy” in 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. In a time where representation and diversity in music is more important than ever, the Linda Lindas are a refreshing addition to the punk scene. With their youthful energy and socially conscious lyrics, they are sure to be a band to watch in the future.
Check out what we learned in this exclusive Q+A below!
WHAT WERE SOME HIGHLIGHTS FROM 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 one more Save Music in Chinatown benefit show with Channel 3, Chip Kinman, and Bombón.
Lucia: Touring and playing out of California for the first time ever, and making friends with bands like Bacchae and Japanese Breakfast.
Mila: Going on a bus tour with Japanese Breakfast and playing big shows with them and Yeah Yeah Yeahs at Forest Hills Stadium and the Hollywood Bowl.
Bela: Playing Barcelona, London, and Mexico City, as well as so many fests.
Lucia: In 2023, we want to release new music and play more shows.
Eloise: And keep having fun!
WHAT ARE SOME BANDS THAT YOU LOOK UP TO?
Bela: Pretenders and Blondie.
Mila: Best Coast and The Go-Go’s.
Lucia: Mannequin Pussy and Paramore.
Eloise: I would love to have riffs as catchy as the Buzzcocks.
EB: Which band would you like to play alongside in 2023?
Mila: Le Tigre.
Lucia: Destroy Boys.
Bela: The Garden.
Eloise: Johnny Maraca and the Marockers.
HOW DID YOU ALL START ON YOUR INSTRUMENTS?
Eloise: Lucia, Mila, and I all played classical piano before picking up rock instruments and it helped a lot.
Lucia: I wanted to play guitar when we started out as a band. My Dad got me a guitar one day and it just kinda sat in the corner of my room until the day it was called into action haha!
Bela: I already played classical guitar and flamenco guitar before playing rock guitar but my grandpa bought me a guitar for my 12th birthday.Mila: And I always wanted to drum because our dad was a drummer and my hands were too small for guitar or bass. I was only 8! One day we got a pair of shiny Vater 5A drumsticks from Guitar Center, and that was the beginning.
Eloise: I picked up the bass because I missed the first practice and it’s all that was left. Turned out to be a pretty cool instrument!
LUCIA, ELOISE, AND BELLA ALL PLAY MUSIC MAN GUITARS. WHAT DREW EACH OF YOU TO THESE?
Lucia: The feel of them was super nice, and we loved the way they look too. It doesn’t hurt that one of my favorite guitarists (St. Vincent) has a signature model that is so inspiring to play.
Bela: I was looking through a bunch of different guitars online and was drawn first to the look of the Mariposa…the styling has a Latin vibe that I really liked. It wasn’t until later that I found out that it was the signature model for Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, which is so sick!
Eloise: I love the connection to so many classic punk bass players like Joe Lally and Kim Deal.
WHAT STRINGS DO YOU USE?
Bela and Lucia: We use Ernie Ball Paradigm 11-54
Eloise: I use Ernie Ball Cobalt 55-110
DO YOU THINK THESE GUITARS HAVE CRAFTED THE BANDS UNIQUE SOUND?
Lucia: Everything plays a part into 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 messing around with.
DO YOU CHANGE GUITARS ON STAGE?
Bela: We didn’t used to because we would play really short sets when we first started out, and we weren’t really as active on stage as we have been more recently. Now we have like maybe one change per show, or whenever we break a string. Luckily the Paradigms don’t break too often!
HOW HAS THE PANDEMIC AFFECTED THE BAND?
Lucia: We really missed playing shows and just playing with each other while sheltering in place, but had a chance to write songs.
Eloise: And one of the songs I wrote back then, “Missing You,” is all about that!
Mila: Later on, when we finally got to play shows and go on the road again, a bunch of us got COVID and we had to reschedule some of them.
Bela: But we were lucky and didn’t have to cancel any of them.
Guitars
The Linda Lindas uses St Vincent Goldie, Mariposa, and Stingray Bass.
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