The Linda Lindas: Lucia, Bela, Mila, and Eloise
The Linda Lindas, pint-sized punk rockers from Los Angeles, have already proven themselves both in and out of the punk rock scene in the short amount of time they’ve been a band. Not even old enough to vote yet, the group has shown they’re wise beyond their years. They’ve garnered accolades from high-profile music legends and have played alongside some of them as well. They’ve been featured on screen as well as behind the scenes, and they’re a testament that there really is no age limit when it comes to punk rock. We were fortunate to connect with Bela, Lucia, Eloise, and Mila to talk about how they got their start, influences, their new self-titled EP, and their feature in the new Netflix movie, Moxie.
The formation of The Linda Lindas happened purely by chance. After getting asked to play in a pickup band for Girlschool LA in 2018, the girls went for it even though they had no prior musical experience. Mila said, “Kristin Kontrol invited us to play with a few other kids, as well as Best Coast and Karen O. and we started to act on our idea of starting a band.” A few months later, Bela asked the others if they could back her up on a few songs for a gig at the Hi-Hat. It was the first time they had played together as a quartet, and it solidified their desire to continue as a band. They started playing regularly at Save Music in Chinatown, and The Linda Lindas were officially born. “As The Linda Lindas, we’ve played regularly at Save Music to raise money for my school’s music program and got to play with and be inspired by many awesome people," stated Eloise.
The Linda Lindas with Bikini Kill at the Hollywood Palladium
Those awesome people Eloise describes include the likes of Phranc, The Dils, Alice Bag, and Bikini Kill, with the latter of two being some of their most vocal supporters. After uploading a cover of Bikini Kill’s iconic song, "Rebel Girl," it caught the eye of Riot Grrrl legend, Kathleen Hanna. Hanna personally invited the girls to open one of their reunion shows at the Hollywood Palladium in 2019, Mila was just 8 years old at the time. What seems like a tough ask for anyone, much less kids who weren’t even in high school yet, proved to be effortless for the girls. It was a dream come true, and one of their biggest highlights thus far. Eloise mentioned, “It was one of my favorite moments. We were in the green room with Kathleen, and she told me, ‘Wow, you’re a triple threat!’”
Triple-threat is indeed the perfect term to describe The Linda Lindas. In addition to each girl taking on vocals, they also play multiple instruments. You’ll find them rotating between guitar, bass, drums, and keys, at their live shows, and it’s also evident on their self-titled EP that they share these different roles. Recorded safely during the pandemic, the EP, which came out on December 16, 2020, features different singers and different sounds on every song. Bela mentioned, “We got tested every week for about a month before recording so we could actually be in the studio together. We each wrote a song, and you can really hear the differences and learn a little bit about each of our individual styles.” It’s a mix of personalities, musicality, and leadership, and it’s something they can each call their own in an individual way. “Each song is a piece of who we are, and it has been amazing to put them out into the world. I hope that this EP just being out there sends a message that people can create art at any age," Lucia added.
The EP wasn’t the only project to keep them busy during 2020. They were featured in the documentary The Claudia Kishi Club, which premiered on Netflix on July 3rd. They also put together the song, “Vote,” in an effort to get people out to the polls during election season, something the foursome aren’t yet old enough to do. The song, which was written by Eloise, and the music video, which features Allison Wolfe from Bratmobile, Alice Bag, Mike Watt, Tony Reflex from The Adolescents, and more, was their way of showing just how important the election was. Eloise said, “We were tired of the Trump administration but we’re not old enough to vote. So, I wrote a song encouraging people to vote. We invited a bunch of our friends to be in the new video. It was a lot of work editing it together, but it was also a lot of fun.”
So, what’s next for The Linda Lindas? A feature in the new Netflix movie, Moxie, out on March 3rd, which is about a girl who gets inspired by her mother’s riot grrrl past and creates a zine to call out the sexism that’s plaguing her high school. It was a new experience for the girls, and one they will never forget. Mila remarked, “Being in Moxie was really interesting. It was the first time filming like that and it was a lot of fun. Recording "Rebel Girl" by Bikini Kill and "Big Mouth" by The Muffs was really amazing. It was our first time making music in a studio!"
If there’s one thing The Linda Lindas hope to teach people, it’s that there’s no age requirement in music. Anyone can create, and if the passion and the drive is there it will happen. Bela gave some encouraging words for anyone looking to start a band, “It’s hard, but you have to keep pushing through the challenges and it will all be worth it in the end.”
Follow The Linda Lindas on Instagram at @the_linda_lindas and The Linda Lindas on Facebook. You can purchase their self-titled EP here. You can also see them in the Netflix movie, Moxie, which comes out on March 3rd.
Comentários