The Linda Lindas, initially formed by Kristin Kontrol for Girlschool LA in 2018 as a new wave cover band then transformed into their own garage band punk rock group for some after school fun. The group derived their name from the Japanese film Linda Linda Linda which features the song “Linda Linda” by the Japanese punk rock group The Blue Hearts. The band is composed of sisters Mila de la Garza (drummer, now 13) and Lucia de la Garza (guitar, 15), cousin Eloise Wong (bass, 14), and family friend Bela Salazar (guitar, 18). They got their first reps as performers by regularly attending the all-ages matinees in Chinatown where they would play punk songs from classic L.A. groups such as Alley Cats, The Dils, and Phranc. They even opened up for riot grrrl’s Bikini Kill and pioneer Alice Bag, as well as Best Coast and Bleached.
When the lockdowns in 2021 put a pause on shows and school, they dug into their original material and hit the studio; led by Mila and Lucia’s Dad and Grammy award-winning record producer Carlos De La Garza. Carlos won a Grammy for producing Ziggy Marley’s self-titled album and has also worked with Paramore, Best Coast, Bad Religion, Fitz and the Tantrums, and many more. After releasing their first four-song EP and music video “Vote!”, encouraging citizens to vote in the 2020 election, the group made the live performance video that would gain them viral popularity. In May 2021 The Linda Lindas performed their original “Racist, Sexist Boy” in the Los Angeles Public Library and received massive attention including social media shares from celebrity musicians such as Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The song was inspired by an encounter at the beginning of the pandemic when a boy said his dad told him to “stay away from Chinese people” and then backed away from Mila after she told him she was Chinese. Including being widely shared across social media, this performance video also landed them an interview and performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! the following month. Once school ended and the summer began The Linda Lindas got to work on their first full-length LP. Each having written plenty of material while doing class online and stuck inside. Who knew online class would help turn the kids into punk-rockstars sooner! Recently, The Linda Lindas performed at legendary music festival Lollapalooza in Chicago (talk about a cool summer break story). Inspired by generations of punk music in L.A. and beyond, The Linda Lindas embody classic punk, post punk, power pop, new wave, and more into fun songs sung and played with intense passion by all four members, each bringing their own unique feeling to the music. The Linda Lindas have been exciting true classic punk fans and all alike who just enjoy watching them rock out. The Linda Lindas will be fun to watch continue to grow, this is just the beginning!