Don’t Mess With The Linda Lindas: How Four Los Angeles Teenagers Became The Next Big Thing in Punk Rock
Jessie Cowan/Courtesy of theguardian.com
Pat Saperstein/Courtesy of variety.com
In early May of 2021, the Los Angeles Public Library sent out a tweet. A video link along with the caption “Don’t mess with The Linda Lindas.” In the video, four dark-haired girls, dressed in t-shirts and skirts, stand in the middle of an empty library. They hold their instruments casually, like old pro’s ready to do what they have done so many times before. Their attitudes are in direct conflict with their age, none of them look like they are out of high school, if they are even in high school yet. The smallest of the girls, sitting behind an equally tiny drum kit, introduces the song they are about to play. “ A little while before we went into lockdown,” she says, “a boy in my class came up to me and said his dad told him to stay away from Chinese people. After I told him I was Chinese he backed away from me.” The bass player chimes in, “so this song is about him and all the other racist, sexist boys in the world,” before the band bursts into a poignant, gritty, punk song about encountering overt racism. It would not take long for the video to go viral, being retweeted and praised by heavy industry hitters like Questlove, Flea from The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Iggy Pop, and Tom Morello from Rage Against The Machine.
Two sisters, a cousin, and a close friend. That is how The Linda Lindas describe their dynamic. The quartet, consisting of, guitarist Bela Salazar, bassist Eloise Wong, guitarist Lucia de la Garza, and drummer Mila de la Garza (all take turns on vocals), are still in high school and middle school for drummer Mila. The group formed in January 2018 as a one-off, novelty backup band for popular indie artist Kristin Kontrol. Not long after, the young foursome started showing up at local gigs around China Town and other small venues in the Los Angeles area.
Courtesy of last.fm/juiceonline.com
Taking their name from the 2005 Japanese film Linda Linda Linda, the group soon started performing on the same bill with well-known indie acts like Alice Bag, Best Coast, Phrac, The Dills, and The Ally Cats. In April 2019, after seeing a video of their cover of her song “Rebel Girl,” Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill invited the band to open for her at the Hollywood Palladium, where they would be discovered by Amy Poehler. The famous SNL alumni cast the group in her upcoming Netflix film Moxie (released in March of 2021), they would also record two songs for the film’s soundtrack. The band would write and record a song for the Netflix short documentary, The Claudia Kishi Club, as well.
In examining the short trajectory of The Linda Lindas’ career, the opportunity provided by having industry parents can’t be ignored. Carlos de la Garza, Grammy award-winning record producer, songwriter, and former member of the popular ‘90s ska band Real Big Fish, is the father to two of the band’s members, Lucia and Mila. While the viral sensation put into motion by The Los Angeles Public Library’s tweet made it seem like the group had been toiling away in obscurity, they had actually been making savvy industry moves since their inception. Although, it cannot be denied that there is a certain amount of privilege that comes with having a dad who has worked with bands such as Paramore, Jimmy Eat World, Wolf Alice, and Bad Religion, The Linda Lindas leg up in the music industry might be better described as experienced guidance. Carlos de la Garza’s time on both sides of the studio glass has undoubtedly helped his daughters’ band to make informed decisions like retaining Bethany Cosentino, lead singer of Best Coast, as the group's manager. Cosentino was undoubtedly instrumental in securing the band’s deal with Epitaph Records in May of 2021.
Lauren Crew/Courtesy of buzzfeednews.com
But, this is not to say The Linda Lindas are not talented. On the contrary, their penchant for songwriting is comparable to contemporaries well beyond the band’s hand full of years. The foursome is also proficient enough on multiple instruments to switch their lineup during performances, often trading bass for guitar, vocal duties for drums. While not many teenagers can say they have a record deal, The Linda Lindas management has been smart in metering their exposure. Any performances by the band are scheduled on weekends, or during school breaks. They don’t perform in tailor-made, designer outfits, opting instead for unique thrift store finds and brightly colored home-dyed hair. The subjects of their songs cover everything from their favorite pet to run-ins with bullies. Their lyrics are effective but never so sophisticated as to be unbelievably written by a group of teenage girls. It is not far-fetched to picture the young quartet doing their homework at the dinner table or being scolded for not cleaning their rooms. The group is easily defined as four kids who are really into and subsequently pretty good at, playing punk rock. Hopefully, this careful curation will save the band from the kind of backlash that has been experienced by big-name artists like Billie Eilish, whose own childhood proximity to the music industry has garnered criticisms and questions about her talents.
Lauren Crew/Courtesy of buzzfeednews.com
In June 2021, The Linda Lindas released their first single on Epitaph, “Oh!.” A bright sounding ode to teenage insecurities, the song is reminiscent of the band’s riot girl heroes. When asked in a recent interview why they play punk rock, the group commented “because it can be anything you want.” Speaking about the viral popularity of their library performance of “Racist, Sexist Boy,” guitarist Lucia de la Garza said “the goal is to make it so that this world can become better. It’s sharing a real-life experience that happened and it’s trying to educate people and not undermine them because of their intelligence.” In a relatively short amount of time The Linda Lindas have come to represent a passing of the punk rock, and more specifically riot girl, torch within the music industry. The foursome is not waiting for their high school diploma or 18th birthday to start their take over either. Just this week the group announced the release of their first full-length album, Growing Up, out April 8, on Epitaph Records. The title track for the album along with a video directed by Humberto Leon, is available now.
