{"id":10041230,"date":"2025-04-22T05:08:18","date_gmt":"2025-04-22T09:08:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vanyaland.com\/?p=10041230"},"modified":"2025-04-22T05:08:19","modified_gmt":"2025-04-22T09:08:19","slug":"617-qa-the-linda-lindas-on-life-between-the-library-and-stadiums","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vanyaland.com\/2025\/04\/22\/617-qa-the-linda-lindas-on-life-between-the-library-and-stadiums\/","title":{"rendered":"617 Q&A: The Linda Lindas on life between the library and stadiums"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Evident in how rapidly their sound has grown between their 2022 debut album, Growing Up<\/em>, and last October\u2019s follow-up, No Obligation<\/em>, The Linda Lindas<\/a><\/strong> stopped being just another punk rock band for pundits to proudly peg as the future of the genre. There\u2019s still plenty of rapid-fire breakneck numbers like \u201cResolution\/Revolution,\u201d and \u201cDon\u2019t Think\u201d among them, but an abundance of straight-up pop with \u201cAll in My Head\u201d<\/a> and the chugging tilt of \u201cToo Many Things\u201d proves the SoCal quartet is just getting started musically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That makes sense, as only one of the band members, 20-year-old guitarist Bela Salazar, is out of high school while the youngest of the bunch, 14-year-old drummer Mila de la Garza, is fresh out of middle school. Mila\u2019s older sister Lucia (18) plays guitar, and Eloise Wong (17) is on bass. All four handle vocal duties on various songs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They\u2019ve drawn the attention of some major players in the industry, be it festival organizers around the world or headliners from The Rolling Stones to Green Day to Paramore, who have all handpicked the band as an opening act in recent years. But while much has been made about their ages, corresponding talent, and continuing uptick of musical experiences, you\u2019ll be hard pressed to find more down-to-earth subjects of a success story, who just seven years ago were discovered after playing at the Los Angeles Public Library.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJust getting to travel and play shows… we\u2019re super, super grateful,\u201d Eloise tells Vanyaland<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, following all the craziness that comes with playing Coachella, Lollapalooza, and Boston Calling, along with supporting heroes like Bikini Kill, The Linda Lindas are on an inaugural tour of North America, which stops at The Paradise<\/a> on Wednesday night (April 23).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We caught up with the foursome ahead of the gig to do a 617 Q&A (Six Questions; One Recommendation; Seven Somethings<\/a>) and discuss how things have changed since that library performance amid the stacks, the stresses that come with playing smaller shows, and some of the coolest things that have happened in the past few years. Bela, Lucia, Eloise, and Mila excitedly reminisced about their favorite moments, collectively and individually, but perhaps even more so about what the future might bring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

:: SIX QUESTIONS<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Michael Christopher: When you look back at the library performance from so many years ago, what do you think, considering how much has changed?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eloise Wong: I mean, I haven’t looked back at the video yet. That was so long ago. I’m sure we sound different. I don’t know. I’m scared to look at it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bela Salazar: Our hair is probably all different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eloise: Our hair is probably all different. Sometimes people make posts with that recording of \u201cRacist, Sexist Boy\u201d on it, and it sounds so much different from how we play it now. So I don’t know how the rest of it sounds too. But I’m really grateful that that was a launching point for all that we’ve been able to do now. We’ve been able to play so many shows after that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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