The Linda Lindas are the deserving (and highly animated) subjects of Fender’s latest Player Plus session, which you can watch below...
The LA four-piece, consisting of sisters Mila and Lucia de la Garza (drums and guitars, respectively and vocals), Eloise Wong (bass guitar/vocals), and Bela Salazar (guitar/vocals), discussed their punk values, songwriting and how they think about playing.
“During shelter in place, I kind of realised how much I needed the band,” says Wong, when asked about the song Why. “I think that that much time with yourself gets really lonely, frustrating, whatever. So it was all building up [until it] was like ‘I’m going to write a song… OK!’”
The video also offers a performance of Why, alongside Cuántas Veces and Remember, all of which are taken from their debut album, Growing Up, which was released back in April.
As you might expect, given the brand’s concerted outreach among younger players, Fender’s Player Plus models feature heavily throughout. Lucia de la Garza favouring the Stratocaster HSS in Cosmic Jade, and Salazar puts the Telecaster Nashville (in Opal Spark) to good use.
“So many cool people have played Fender guitars,” says Salazar. “It’s just classic.” “It’s just like, ‘Wow. I have a guitar. I can rule the world now,’” summarises Wong, with typical bombast.
The band first rose to prominence when a clip of them playing their track Racist, Sexist Boy at LA’s public library back in May of last year and have held onto their punk philosophy, despite the rabid attention that ensued.
Their barnstorming tracks and desire to just have a lot of fun seems to have proven inspirational to a lot of budding musicians – and they have some typically direct advice on that front, too.
“If you wanna start a band: do it,” says Lucia de la Garza. “You should start a band.”
“It doesn’t matter if you don’t know how to play,” says Wong. “You’re going to hear it. You learn. Just go for it.”
The Linda Lindas will be on tour throughout the US and Canada this fall. To stay up to date with the band, head to The Linda Lindas.
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