The Linda Lindas had a big viral moment in 2021 thanks to “Racist Sexist Boy,” but since then, the young band has proven that they’re more than a flash in the pan. They parlayed that success into a label deal with Epitaph, an opening slot on Jawbreaker’s reunion tour, and now, a new album: The group announced today that Growing Up, their debut album, is set for release on April 8.
They also shared the title track today, a rocker that’s further evidence of just how wise beyond their years this teenage group is. The song arrives alongside a video directed by Humberto Leon, which was shot on an iPhone and shows the band performing the song in and around a colorful home.
The band told Apple Music’s Zane Lowe of recording the song:
“So I was just sitting in our living room, and it was during the pandemic, it was just at a point when I was just particularly missing everyone. I was like, ‘Oh my God, we’re at this point in our lives where we’re supposed to be figuring out who we are and what we want to do with our life and stuff.’ But it sucked that I wasn’t able to do that with some of the people that are most important to me. I don’t know. It was like you can’t make growing up happen, but you can’t stop it from happening either. So I was just like, I wanted to sing about it, I wanted to write a song about it because that’s how I found that I wanted to express myself most during the pandemic.”
Humberto Leon also said of directing the video:
“Directing my first video for The Linda Lindas was a dream come true because I love the message and voice the girls have, and I am a true fan. I was really inspired by the girl’s love of cats and wanted to take that to the next level and so the video is a conversation about turning points in their lives all being viewed through the gaze of their cats. It creates a narrative of whether the cats want to trade places with the girls or vice-a-versa. This video was extra special because I worked with the girls on designing the outfits with Batsheva, styling the looks with Rodarte and Warby Parker. The entire video was a collaboration between me and the girls. By shooting the video on iPhone 13 Pro Max, it created an intimacy with the video that felt like we were listening in on a day in the life of The Linda Lindas.”
Watch the “Growing Up” video above and find the band’s upcoming tour dates below.
02/11 — Pioneertown, CA @ Pappy & Harriet’s *
04/01 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern #
04/02 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern #
04/03 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern #
04/27 — New York, NY @ Irving Plaza #
04/28 — New York, NY @ Irving Plaza #
04/29 — New York, NY @ Irving Plaza #
04/03 — New York, NY @ Irving Plaza #
10/22-23 — Las Vegas, NV @ When We Were Young Festival
* with The Beths
# with Jawbreaker
Growing Up is out 4/8 via Epitaph. Pre-order it here.